The 2023 Special Election is May 14, and we need you!
Sign up for the Candidate Training:
Saturday, March 4, 12 to 4 on Zoom, HERE.

Is this the year for you to step up and run for the school board? Yes!

One reason to declare your candidacy is to protect our children and schools from extremist views. Right-wing extremists have stepped up their game statewide. These groups are laser-focused on filling school board seats with candidates opposed to student equity and inclusion policies, critical race theory, vaccinations, and sex education.  Furthermore, they promote conservative beliefs like school choice which reduces funding for public schools. They succeed when no one runs against them and take advantage of typical low voter turnout in these special elections. We can change that!

Another reason to step up and run for the school board is to gain experience in public service. School boards and special districts are often incubators for higher office; they were the starting point for many of Oregon’s top elected officials. Many of them originally  ran because they wanted to make a difference in the lives of their children, teachers, and schools. For many of these officials, running for the school board was the first time they ran for public office. Many ran because a friend, family member, or co-worker said, “You have such passion and leadership skills. Have you thought about running for public office?”

In a recent interview with Pam Shields, a member of the Centennial School Board who has been chair and vice chair over her 12 years on the board, reflected on how she first got involved: “My first campaign was in 2011 when many ‘tea party’ members were running …. our local unions asked,  ‘ If this is important to you, why aren’t you running for the open position?’ As an educator with 20 years of experience, I knew the impact of a good school board, so it was time to step up. ”

Multnomah County Democrats are here to support your candidacy. Join us at our candidate training on March 4 from 12 to 4 via Zoom. Running for public office requires a different skill set than that required to hold public office. We have designed a training to strengthen your running-for-office skill set. We will bring together experienced folks to offer advice and resources. This will also be a chance to connect with others who are running and who have run before.  This is the place to learn about how to make a difference, find like-minded souls, and to collect resources.  Here is a list of open positions from the Multnomah County Elections Office.

Presenters, so far, include Michelle DePass, Chair of PPS School Board, Pam Shields, former chair and member of Centennial School Board, Shemia Fagan, current Secretary of State and former school board member. 

SIGN UP HERE for the Multnomah County Democrats Candidate Training Session on Saturday, March 4, 12 – 4 pm, via Zoom.

The topics we will cover are presented in this graphic:

Dannelle D. Stevens is Vice Chair of the MultDems Campaign and Candidate Liaison Committee.
Contact her at dannelled@mac.com .