The three Democratic-endorsed candidates for the South Western City Schools Board of Education prevailed in one of the most contentious races in central Ohio, likely changing the direction of the board.
The three Democrats, incumbent Camille Peterson, Chelsea Alkire and Kelly Dillon, each won more than 19% of the vote, according to unofficial results with all precincts reporting. The Republican-endorsed candidates were incumbent board President Chris Boso, Jason Gocha and Steve Feucht, with Boso getting the most votes at 14.6% and Gocha and Feucht receiving 13.4% and 13.9%, respectively.
In an interview, Peterson said the election results were a sign of hope for the district. She also noted she is now the first elected Black woman to the South Western City school board.
“We want (the district) to know that we are ready to work together and collaborate and unite as an entire district,” Peterson said. “We want to show them how it does not not matter your political affiliation, we want all of our voices to come together and unite for all of our students.”
Boso, Gocha and Feucht could not be reached for comment.
The South Western City Schools Board of Education was driven by a partisan divide among the candidates.
One of the key points of contention was a retainer for conservative attorney Omar Tarazi, whom the board hired in 2024 and the district pays $9,000 a month.
Members of the Republican-endorsed ticket have said that Tarazi offers a valuable service to district and even saves it money on legal fees, while the Democratic-endorsed candidates have said that his presence is divisive and wasteful of taxpayer dollars. Tarazi in August said the state should “take away board elections” and switch to appointed boards for the largest districts to give “equal footing” to the board during union contract negotiations.
Another point of controversy was that in May, the district joined a group headed by conservatives that advocates for English-only education, separate classes for students with learning disabilities, and combating “divisive identity politics.”
This isn’t the first politically contentious election in South Western City Schools. In 2023, two candidates endorsed by the far-right Moms for Liberty, Julie Liskany and Denise D’Angelo, won seats on the board as the sole central Ohio MFL candidates to win elections. They will remain on the board next year.
Cole Behrens covers K-12 education and school districts in central Ohio. Have a tip? Contact Cole at cbehrens@dispatch.com or connect with him on X at @Colebehr_report
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Democratic-endorsed candidates sweep South Western City school board race
Reporting by Cole Behrens, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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