4 SoWashCo School Board Candidates Running As Conservative Slate

WOODBURY, MN — Four of the nine candidates seeking a seat on the South Washington County Schools board have joined forces to run as a conservative slate in the Nov. 2 municipal election.

Vicki Holst, Marge Lindberg, Eric Tessmer and Jaime Kokaisel are running together under the “Vote 4 Common Sense” banner in their bids to unseat incumbents Patricia Driscoll, Katie Schwartz and Sharon Van Leer, as first reported by the Twin Cities Pioneer Press.

The slate is also aiming to hold off challenges from Michael Bestler and Enrique Ramos in the race for four seats on the school board.

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The four candidates on the “Vote 4 Common Sense” slate describe themselves as conservatives who oppose mask mandates and support giving more power to parents in the district.

“The current school board is woke and progressive,” the slate’s website reads, urging voters to elect all four conservative candidates who would then hold a majority on the seven-member board.

The candidates said “schools should stay open for in-person learning year-round” amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, a goal they say they will accomplish “by simply not closing the schools.”

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Holst, Tessmer, Lindberg and Kokaisel each said in their Patch candidate profiles that parents should be given the ultimate authority over their children's health decisions, including whether they wear masks when in school.

“The bottom line is, parents, we trust you to make the best decision for your family and your neighbors,” the candidates said on the “Vote 4 Common Sense” website.

“The (COVID-19) situation has only served to shed a light on the freedoms and choice we have lost as citizens and parents,” Tessmer wrote on his campaign website.

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The slate’s website touts the endorsements of Kendall and Sheila Qualls, who gave a presentation titled “The Fallacy of Critical Race Theory” at a recent event hosted by the candidates on the slate.

Qualls said critical race theory is not about “accurately teaching American history,” it is about “shaming people into doing what you want them to do." She has called critical race theory a “far-left agenda to undermine our country” and urged parents to listen for "code words" like diversity, equity and inclusion, the Marshall Independent reported.

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The Associated Press defined critical race theory as “a way of analyzing American history through the lens of racism.”

“While the term has been applied broadly by some to any efforts toward inclusion, the theory itself is not a fixture of K-12 instruction,” the AP reported in June.

Van Leer, who is seeking a third term on the board, told the Twin Cities Pioneer Press that community members “should be scared to death” of the slate’s philosophies.

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Residents can vote early in person at four locations in Washington County from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays through Monday:

• Washington County Government Center — 14949 62nd St. N, Stillwater
• Cottage Grove Service Center — 13000 Ravine Parkway, Cottage Grove
• R.H Stafford Library — 8595 Central Park Place, Woodbury
• Headwaters Service Center — 19955 Forest Road N., Forest Lake

Mail-in ballots will not count if they are received after Election Day.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday. Minnesota has same-day voter registration, which means you can register to vote at your polling place on Election Day.

Here are the profiles for the nine candidates seeking a seat on the South Washington County Schools board:

• Jaime Kokaisel
• Sharon Van Leer
• Marge Lindberg
• Patricia Driscoll
• Michael Bestler
• Eric Tessmer
  
• Katie Schwartz
• Vicki Holst
• Enrique Ramos