School Board Races: MPA Wins Seats In Anoka-Hennepin, Hastings

TWIN CITIES, MN — The Minnesota Parents Alliance won board seats in two of the three school districts it said were targeted with "significant resources" including direct mail, digital advertising, and door-knocking.

Launched in the wake of COVID-19 era school shutdowns and battles over controversial topics such as critical race theory, the MPA says its goal is "educating and empowering parents to engage in their local school communities as strong advocates for academic achievement, equality and parental rights."

Two MPA-backed candidates — Linda Hoekman and Zach Arco — won seats in Anoka-Hennepin, the state’s largest school district. A third MPA-endorsed candidate, Scott Simons, lost his election.

Anoka-Hennepin is the largest school district in the state.

Meanwhile, in Hastings, MPA-backed candidates won four new seats and now claim a 5-2 majority. Joining that board are MPA-endorsed Nancy Blanchard, Jenny Wiederholt-Pine, Philip Biermaier, and Melissa Millner.

All four MPA-endorsed candidates lost in Mounds View, the third district that received significant resources and focus from MPA.

"MPA also celebrated victories in South Washington County, Minnetonka, Spring Lake Park, Hopkins, and Wayzata," the group said.

"The wins in 2023 build on the successes of 2022 when fifty candidates running with the official MPA endorsement won election to the school board and MPA won seats in 15 of 19 targeted districts."

The MPA's modest gains were dwarfed by candidates backed by Education Minnesota, the state's largest teachers union.

Local unions of Education Minnesota endorsed 53 school board candidates and 45 of them won, or 85 percent, the union announced Wednesday.

Facing off against MPA candidates, union-endorsed candidates swept in the districts of Bloomington, Fridley, Minnetonka, Mounds View, Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan, and Roseville.

Editor's note: A previous version of this article was updated to correct a spelling error