Here we are,  post-election, and there’s not much to say other than I got my proverbial butt kicked.  It’s been quite the humbling experience, I must admit.  I’ve seen and heard lots of speculation about the election, a great deal of interpretation about why  it went the way it did, but I can’t say I agree with the most of the analysis.  As is my nature, I have been scrutinizing everything I said or did during the campaign and wondering whether or not I should have done anything differently.  I thought about what I did:  walked precincts, had supporters walk precincts, walked and talked at the Farmer’s Market a couple of times, attended several related events, participated in four candidate forums, did two mailings, put up big signs, had yard signs available, created and maintained a Facebook page and a blog and did some on-screen advertising at Brenden Theater.  It should also be noted I had no organized support in the form of organizational endorsements or volunteers, no contributions other than from individuals, had almost all of my large signs stolen from their locations and had yard signs stolen out of people’s yards, including my own.  Could I have done more?  I probably could have done more precinct walking, but other than that, I did what I could with the time, money and resources I had.  There has been some criticism of the way I conducted my campaign, surprise at my last-place finish and other comments from observers, but for the most part, those comments have come from people who don’t know me or were unaware of what I was doing during the campaign.  It could be true I didn’t campaign hard enough,  but I was the only candidate holding down a full-time, 40-plus hour a week job, attending to my responsibilities as a board member and mother and campaigning all at the same time.   Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I don’t have regrets about what I did and while it was very disappointing not to retain my seat, the people who worked with me are talented, dedicated, loyal friends who worked hard and supported me unconditionally.

It has been very interesting to read analysis of what this election “means”.  The Bee has declared the voters were seeking change and a more conservative bent to the board.  Considering only about 20% of registered voters bothered to cast a ballot,  I’m not convinced the voters really “said” anything.  What it might say is voter apathy is rampant and education is not only a low priority for our state legislature, but to the citizens of Modesto and the state of  California.  I have always felt if the education of our children was truly a priority in this state, we would put a great deal more energy, money and attention toward improving and enhancing educational opportunities and institutions.  It seems that bringing attention to the successes of the students, faculty and administrators of the district, talking about the future, ideas and the strategic plan to which we are all dedicated were not topics of interest for voters.  I’m sorry that my message, ideas and approach didn’t resonate with the voting public.  It is truly unfortunate  I wasn’t able to talk to more people about my vision for the students of the district and most importantly, I’m sorry I won’t have another four years to build on the experience I gained during my term on the board and help guide the district to higher achievements.  I sincerely hope the district will continue to move forward, cultivate and foster an atmosphere of academic excellence and achieve all the goals and objectives  of the strategic plan.   I believe in the employees of the district, the talent and dedication of our teachers and the value of public education.  My hope  is for the best, despite the serious fiscal challenges the district will face in the coming months and even years.

There are things I wish I’d said during the campaign; topics I wish I’d had better opportunities to address, so I won’t claim to have no regrets.  My next post will address those things.  In the meantime, I want to thank the people who supported and voted for me.  Your faithfulness to this blog is deeply appreciated and I hope you have gained something from reading.  More to come!

Advertisement