Post

Avatar
please don’t screw this up, MoCo
Hey Montgomery County residents. It is election day for your school board. I don't care who you vote for, as long as it is someone other than Bethany Mandel. donmoynihan.substack.com/p/candidate-...
Candidate profile: Bethany Mandeldonmoynihan.substack.com What's happening in my local school board election
Avatar
Gotta say, the nonpartisan nature of the races and their general low profile makes it distressingly hard to find info on whether or not the candidate is a crazy person. Bethany isn’t the only insane person running
Avatar
recurring problem with minor elected office. but if you elect a different crazy person that’s your problem and if you elect Mandel it’s everyone’s problem
Avatar
With our last school board elections in Ontario, thankfully most of the awful candidates were shouting it from the rooftops. There were a handful that tried to be low-key about it though with a fairly generic platform, but there were a few dog whistles thrown in if you were paying close attention.
Avatar
Another not-immediately-obvious method was that some anti-abortion organizations will grade candidates. Any positive recommendation from them is a solid red flag, and they'll often mention past associations that candidates trying to fly under the radar conveniently fail to mention.
Avatar
The teachers association in frederick county provides endorsements which really helps when confronted with a list of like 17 nonpartisan candidates
Avatar
Yeah this one at least I had enough people saying “vote for these three people” one of whom was Bethany that I knew not to vote for any of those three but it can be hard if they are more subtle
Avatar
But otherwise you almost have to default to voting for the incumbent rather than accidentally voting for a crazy person