
You might think it couldn’t happen here, but for four years or more, pro-Trump MAGA Republicans in Santa Clara County have been plotting to take over our local schools.
They don’t believe in science. They think COVID is a hoax and that horse medicine is the solution. They don’t want our schools to support LGBTQ+ kids or to teach about slavery and racism. They don’t even want schools to teach sex education or spend any time on social and emotional learning.
Worst of all, they’ve coached their candidates to hide their true beliefs, and instead to use codewords and dog whistles to signal their true colors to their fellow true believers. Themes like “parents rights” and ensuring schools are a “safe place” for THEIR kids. Their focus on “reading, math, and [English] language” is to the exclusion of all the other things we know our kids need to learn in school.
We have the receipts. Trust us that you don’t want to get sunk too deeply into their swamp, but for a taste of their beliefs view these videos:
- George Soros and former Vice President Mike Pence should be “executed for treason”
- The January 6 insurrection was a “false flag” operation by the AFL-CIO to allow the 2020 election to be “stolen” from Trump
- Teachers are “deranged” and “wicked people” for providing a supportive environment for LGBTQ+ students
- People should avoid the COVID vaccine and instead use discredited so-called alternative treatments such as Ivermectin and Hydroxychloroquine
- Critical Race Theory “causes” children to identify as transgender
- Schools should not support LGBTQ+ kids who come out at school
- City Councils should be targeted by protests if they support the LQBTQ+ community or the “Black Lives Matter” movement
- School board candidates should hide their anti-LQBTQ agenda and opposition to historical fact-based teaching on the subject of race, when speaking to a general audience
We’ve recruited candidates to run against them, and we’ll update this page in early September to list our endorsements. Until then, be on the lookout for the MAGA-supported candidates listed below.
To read about the radical right group from Idaho working with a local MAGA group to plan a hostile takeover of the Franklin McKinley School Board follow THIS LINK.
Please consider donating to the fund we’ll use to ensure only well-qualified candidates who share our community’s values of diversity and inclusion are elected.
The table below lists the MAGA-supported candidates* and the district in which each is running. Let your friends and neighbors know not to be deceived and to be sure not to vote for them.
Also, don’t vote for other candidates not listed here but who are running as a slate with these candidates. They are most likely aligned in their MAGA values.
For a PDF of these results, follow THIS LINK.
Thursday, December 5, 2024, 12:26:54 PM
Official Final Results
| District | Seat | MAGA-Supported Candidate | Endorsed By | Status | Margin |
| Santa Clara County Board of Education | Area 4 | Shane Lewis | SVACR | Trailing | -11.90% |
| Alum Rock Unified School Board | Matt Karnes | SVACR, MFL | Trailing | -8.05% | |
| Cupertino Union School District | Long Jiao | SVACR | Trailing | -14.74% | |
| Franklin-McKinley School Board | Josue Gonzales | SVACR, MFL | Trailing | -13.68% | |
| Franklin-McKinley School Board | Joshua Harrington | SVACR, MFL | Trailing | -16.10% | |
| Fremont Union High School Board | Area 2 | Frances Renteria, read more… | SVACR, MFL | Trailing | -51.20% |
| Mountain View Whisman SD | Raymond R. White, read more… | MFL | Trailing | -7.26% | |
| Oak Grove School Board | Area 1 | Otila Salazar Torres | SVACR, MFL | Leading | 25.18% |
| San Jose Unified School District | Area 5 | Nicole Gribstad | SVACR, MFL | Leading | 5.05% |
* Silicon Valley Association of Conservative Republicans’ (SVACR) voter guide references 8 school board candidates in 7 districts.
* Moms for Liberty’s (MFL) voter guide references 7 school board candidates in 6 districts.
The following candidates for School Board are not being officially supported by the Conservative Republican movement but each is registered as a member of Republican Party running against Democratic candidates.
| District | Seat | Candidate | Status | Margin | |
| Campbell Union SD | Area 2 | Michael L. Snyder | Trailing | -12.56% | |
| Morgan Hill Unified SD | Area 5 | Tyler Smith | Trailing | -5.26% | |
| Morgan Hill Unified SD | Area 6 | Rebecca Munson | Leading | 16.86% | |
| Morgan Hill Unified SD | Area 7 | Tom Pocus | Trailing | -31.22% | |
| San Jose Unified SD | Area 1 | Chris Webb | Trailing | -20.88% | |
| Saratoga Union SD | Yacoub Elziq | Trailing | -14.69% |
For additional information see:
- “‘Appalled’: Backlash over Sunnyvale school board candidate’s anti-LGBTQ views” article on 10/8/24: https://sanjosespotlight.com/appalled-backlash-over-sunnyvale-candidates-anti-lgbtq-views/
- “The GOP platform calls for ‘universal school choice.’ What would that mean for students?” article on 7/11/24: https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-republican-platform-education-schools-172e27bbfb3402d22e5c2effb740654f
- “Amid Backlash, Conservative Groups Target South Bay School Board Seats” article on 10/27/23: https://www.kqed.org/news/11965684/amidst-backlash-conservative-groups-target-south-bay-school-board-seats
- “Republicans excluded from meaningful positions of power have looked down ballot” article on 8/21/23: https://www.politico.com/news/2023/08/21/gop-school-boards-california-00112084
- “Lacking political power in California, conservatives turn focus to local school boards” article on 8/15/23: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-08-15/lacking-political-power-in-california-conservatives-turn-focus-to-local-school-boards
- An article on CA GOP’s effort to target school board races in 2022: https://calmatters.org/politics/2022/08/california-republicans-school-board-races/
- 2021 SV GOP Action Alert – Oppose Critical Race Theory in Our Schools link: https://www.svgop.com/2021/03/12/action-alert-oppose-critical-race-theory-in-our-schools/
- 2018 Santa Clara County Republican Party endorsement questionnaire link & excerpt: “If you are a registered Republican seeking either a partisan or non-partisan office, please explain how your platform is consistent with GOP principles.” https://svgop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/2018-SVGOP-Endorsement-Questionnaire.pdf


