Turner and Gierok Withdraw From School Board Election

DAKOTA COUNTY, MN — Jessica Turner and Rebecca Gierok announced that they both withdrew their names from the ISD 196 School Board election.

This leaves 13 candidates running for a position on School Board.

In an email to Patch, Turner wrote:

"After much thought and consideration, I have made the very difficult and heartfelt decision to not continue my campaign for the District 196 School Board race in the upcoming election," she said. "I want to thank all of my supporters and will continue to be an advocate for our students and an ear and voice for change in our community."

On her Facebook page, Gierok shared that due to timing of her decision, her name will remain on the ballot but that she will not be participating in board related events, endorsement processes, or otherwise actively campaign.

"In the last several days I’ve had SO many conversations to check in with individuals who support me and whose opinions I depend on, and I continue to come up with the same conclusion: this race and its importance to our community is greater than any one person/candidate," she wrote. "I have poured my heart into creating connection in community, listening carefully to those who have been harmed by our educational structures, and committing myself to creating the change, but the field is too broad, and the stakes are too high to risk splitting votes and allowing any progress we’ve made on equity to slip."

Both former candidates chose to endorse DCUE candidates: Sakawdin Mohamed, Bianca Virnig, and Art Coulson.