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11/03/2021 12:00 AMIn a contentious and sometimes vitriolic campaign that garnered national attention due to the Board of Education (BOE) race that centered on controversial racial issues and school curriculum, the endorsed Republicans, or Row B-ers, were soundly defeated in their quest to obtain even a single seat on the BOE.
The Row B-ers, who primaried incumbent Republicans on the BOE last month and pulled off a resounding victory, could not maintain that enthusiasm in the general election. By more than t2-1 margins, the results clearly indicated that Guilford residents rejected the contention that the town’s schools and the BOE were in need of change.
In the race Democrats Arnold Skretta and Moira Rader were elected with 6,583 and 6,619 votes, respectively, as were Independent candidates Kristy Faulkner (6,291), Jennifer Baldwin (6,301), and Noel G. Petra (6,312). The fefeated Republicans were Aly Passarelli (3,070), Danielle Scarpellino (3,047), Nick Cusano (3,075), Bill Maisano (3,095), and Tim Chamberlain (3,046).
Current BOE Chair Kathleen Balestracci (D), who was not on the ballot herself for this election, said that she took great comfort in the results and in what she believes Guilford residents stand for.
“I am thrilled that this community has voted in support of what the Guilford Public Schools is going to do and what the BOE is trying to do,” Balestracci said. “I am really pleased to see this community support inclusion, diversity, and introducing children and allowing children to explore multiple perspectives of history.”
Row-B candidate Maisano, a former Guilford police officer and prominent advocate in the call for change on the BOE, said at a post-election gathering that he remains committed to the children of Guilford.
“Congratulations to Democrats and Independents and everyone else who won tonight. However, we got a lot of votes. I’m going to say that about 3,000 people showed up to vote for us, so that will be 3,000 pairs of eyes that are going to be watching this school board, 3,000 pairs of eyes that are going to be watching this superintendent and every single thing that goes on in that school,” Maisano said. “They will be accountable. This is actually tremendous for us. This is actually big for us. We have a lot of power behind us. That’s a lot of people who support us. That is just the beginning. We may not sit on that board, but we have a voice.”
The Guilford BOE race centered on a vocal group of dissenting Republicans who despite evidence to the contrary, insisted that curriculum being taught in Guilford Public Schools were part of a “radical” racial doctrine called Critical Race Theory (CRT).
This concept, developed by legal experts and taught only in a few select law schools in this country, was originally a course meant to delve into how racial bias factors into the American legal system. This issue, stoked by far-right conservatives, became the focal point for numerous towns across the country, including Guilford, and was reportedly even a factor in the Virginia governor’s race.
First Selectman Matt Hoey, who was running unopposed and easily regained his seat, said he was pleased with the outcome and confident that residents stand behind their current BOE.
“This is a victory for reasonability, civility, and truth in our community. This is a resounding victory supporting what our BOE is doing and what we are providing to our students. I could not be happier,” said Hoey.
There was other controversy in the race as well. Allegations of voting irregularities and also of large outside donor money coming into race were also entwined in the campaign during its last weeks.
Allegations were made that Democrats sent illegal absentee ballot applications to voters violating state campaign laws. Though there appears to have been a technical violation involving ballot applications sent by Democrats to constituents, state election officials took the blame for any mistakes due to confusing and contradictory instructions the state had issued. There were several municipalities across the state where this misunderstanding led to what would ordinarily be a ballot violation.
While some are claiming the State Elections Enforcement Commission (SEEC) has started an “investigation” in the matter of the absentee ballot application errors, that is not technically correct. Mandates within the statute compel the SEEC to follow up or investigate every allegation of fraud regardless of the nature of the allegation and regardless of whether evidence was or was not proffered as part of the allegation.
In essence, the SEEC has to follow up on any and all allegations made to them. State officials have previously said that there will likely be no violations issued, due to the state’s errors in its absentee ballot submission instructions. The SEEC decision on this matter could take up to one year to be announced, according to state officials.
Row-B candidate Tim Chamberlain also spoke at the post-election gathering and said that he and his fellow candidates will still fight for their cause.
“Even though we have lost this election this evening, we are building momentum here in Guilford and with the RTC and building momentum nationally. Hopefully we will see a victory in Virginia tonight over this same exact issue,” said Chamberlain. “Nationally this issue is not going away and if doesn’t go away nationally then it won’t go away as a town. I feel sorry for our students who will have to be putting up with this in the meantime. There is a war that is being waged against us. While we have lost this battle, but this war is not over.”