Dear Advocate,
The school board election we have been building toward took place last night, and as I write this, many of the races we are watching are still too close to call. There are still thousands of ballots to be counted, and while we wait for the final results, I want to give you a quick update from the ground.
Here is what we are seeing so far:
Of the 35 races with supported candidates, we are ahead in 18.
15 races are sitting with a margin of fewer than 500 votes, some as low as just 16 votes.
In our target district of Salem-Keizer, we are on track to gain an additional pro-life school board member, with another only narrowly behind.
Oregon Right to Life PAC has been involved in school board races for nearly a decade in response to growing concerns about school-based health center expansions across the state and controversial curricula normalizing abortion. Planned Parenthood, which labels itself as the largest provider of sex education, actively advertises curriculum for Oregon schools.
Our primary focus this cycle was the Salem-Keizer school board – the second-largest school district in Oregon and one where we’ve seen real momentum.
Just two years ago, we helped re-elect an expert pro-life school board member and add another. Now, we’re only two seats away from gaining a pro-life majority on the board and protecting Salem-Keizer school children for the long term.
Because of your generosity, our momentum continues in these school districts. Thank you for making it possible for us to show up with our best effort. I’ll keep you updated as the results come in over the next few weeks.
Because everyone deserves an advocate,
Sharolyn Smith
Political Director
