the Controversial Committee Report
“We don’t raise sacred cows...we just butcher them.”
Local political campaigns for school board and city council do not generally fly the banners of the two national parties -- Republican and Democrat. Likewise, the ever popular labels of Liberal or Conservative may not even be heard in discussions when candidates debate or bulk mail their brochures, with fluffy verbiage, throughout the community.
The primary reason for this self-imposed distancing from the national political parties is candidates want to appeal to as many potential local voters as possible...knowing that the city is probably split between national party loyalties. And basically, if you tick off one Republican voter to gain the vote of a Democrat supporter, then potential lost Republican votes might accumulate and run down the hill...at a fairly speedy clip. (The same occurs if you throw a Democrat voter into a fan.)
After all, local politics (similar to national) is based on primarily two factors: personal and personality of the candidate.
In Elections: Many candidates consider their opponent a chunk of raw meet and will directly (or indirectly through their surrogates) tenderize them with a meat hammer over known failings, prior discrepancies and abilities (that’s personal). Likewise, many consider their opponent fair game to cook them up in a stew as a bland, incompetent serving not deserving voter support or consideration (that’s personality).
This brings us full circle to the upcoming IISD races for school board. It appears that voters will be treated to a choice between ‘fine cuisine’ and ‘lunchroom surprise.’ That’s considered cooking an election!
While there are three vacancies scheduled for the school board election, only one slot drew two candidates. In District 2, Nell Anne Hunt will face off against Garrett Landry. District 1 (Steven Jones) and District 6 (Randy Necessary) will be elected to serve terms ending in 2017 and 2016 respectively, due to not having opponents.
While school district voters will not have to spend an inordinate amount of time shuffling through campaign brochures, answering those annoying GOTV phone calls, or contributing funds to multiple IISD campaigns, the weight of each vote will be significant. The contested race will be determined by ONLY the voters who live in school District 2. Not sure if you qualify to be a voter in this district? Then check out the district map at the following link:
What many potential voters in District 2 may not realize is Nell Anne Hunt has been serving heaping portions of community service and volunteerism for decades in Irving. While most are keenly familiar with the July 4th flag ‘planting‘ she initiated throughout Irving neighborhoods, she has also served as a board member for the North Hills School, the Winston School and the Irving Schools Foundation. Additionally, she has served as an Irving ISD Advisory committee member and participated in numerous PTA organizational activities. A strong advocate for student success and teacher involvement in the educational processes, Nell Anne has the background and credentials to represent your interest fairly with her strong business history in Irving and dedication to the community. She is not a partisan political operative.
Staff of the CCR recommends Nell Anne Hunt to the IISD Board of Trustees for District 2. She will be a tremendous resource and will provide a studious level of commitment and non-partisan thinking to resolving issues that might confront the district. Isn’t this what is needed on the Irving school board?
…………………..Mark Holbrook
