You can add the Wake school board runoff mess to the list of items that the state Board of Elections will handle next week.
The Wake County Board of Elections unanimously voted today to ask the state board for guidance on whether to still hold the Nov. 3 runoff in the District 2 race. That contest could decide the future direction of the school system.
When the state board gets to the runoff issue is uncertain. They'd have to fit it into a busy meeting schedule that begins on Monday with the hearing into former Governor Mike Easley's campaign finances.
Wake County Board of Elections Director Cherie Poucher said she's confident that the state will act on the issue to give the local board some guidance before Election Day. Only the state board has the authority to cancel the runoff.
On Wednesday, school board candidate Cathy Truitt withdrew her earlier request for a runoff. If the runoff is cancelled, John Tedesco would take the seat and provide the vote needed to form a new board majority that supports neighborhood schools.
On one side, the Wake County Republican Party and others critical of the school district's socioeconomic diversity policy want the runoff over.
But on the other side, the state NAACP wants the runoff to continue.
If the runoff takes place, supporters of the diversity policy could mount a campaign to have Truitt get the most votes. Since she has withdrawn from the race, the seat would be declared vacant if she won the runoff. The current school board would then appoint a person who'd leave supporters of the diversity policy in the majority.
Comments
What are the members of the
Mon, 10/26/2009 - 07:49 — woodstockWhat are the members of the Board of Elections doing? They've had days to consider the Truitt Tedesco fiasco. What are they waiting for? Who is Tedesco running against in this run-off? Is there a run-off? He and the voters deserve to know.
"The current school board
Fri, 10/23/2009 - 15:00 — SouthEastWakeMom"The current school board would then appoint a person who'd leave supporters of the diversity policy in the majority."
Thus disenfranchising the 77+% of District 2 voters who voted for change on October 6th. Tart - the only status quo candidate who ran - got only 23% of the vote. The last I checked Wake doesn't have county-wide school board elections. The ITB interests have no business choosing the school board member for southern and south eastern Wake. Thank you, Ms. Truitt, for creating this mess.
Minor point
Fri, 10/23/2009 - 13:26 — Dadof3I'm pleased to see this fact has been elevated from "conspiracy theory" to noteworthy:
It remains about due process.
It's a lot more credible now
Fri, 10/23/2009 - 13:27 — KeungHui (author)It's a lot more credible now that you've got a group trying to block the runoff from being dropped.
Ah, the infamous group.
Mon, 10/26/2009 - 07:30 — changewcpssAh, the infamous group. Wouldn't this be the group claiming to care about the kids but ignoring the results of the current policy implementation? No credibility given to that group when they choose to rant and spew nonsense.
The Stan Norwalk bunch
Mon, 10/26/2009 - 09:04 — g88ky07Did anyone see him standing there with the other 4! Of course Mr. Barber pretty much blocked most of them out, but I did see Stan hanging out in the rear and looking rather frail! Where was Stan during the elections after his first comments way back in the year? Hmmmmmmmm
Check that "withdrawn"
Fri, 10/23/2009 - 13:06 — concerned2If I am correct, Mrs. Truitt has not "officially" withdrawn from the race, but rather asked that her request for a runoff be rescinded.
If her petition is accepted, then it will be as though the runoff never happened and Tedesco will be certified as the winner. If her petition is denied, then she is still a valid candidate who happens to have endorsed her opponent at a recent press conference.
Perhaps it's semantics, but legality often comes down to that.
If I am correct, then Mrs. Truitt could conceivably win the runoff and be seated on the Board. We might assume that is unlikely since she has endorsed her opponent, but this has been one crazy ride!
MAKE SURE YOU
VOTE FOR JOHN TEDESCO NOVEMBER 3rd! Even Cathy Truitt wants you to!