After a resounding number of local election wins, the Democratic Party of Illinois (DPI) is celebrating its success in preventing extremists from being elected to numerous school and library board seats across the state.
While results are yet to be certified, 73 of the 101 extremists that DPI identified and opposed lost their races, and of the 117 candidates recommended by DPI, 84 were elected.
In several districts including Oswego CUSD 308, Lyons Township High School District 204, Hononegah High School District 207, and McLean County School District 5 each of the extreme candidates that DPI exposed were unsuccessful.
Additionally, DPI targeted 42 Awake IL endorsed candidates, and 37 of them lost, a clear indication that Illinoisans disavowed their hateful rhetoric and dangerous platform.
“Last night, Illinoisans rejected the regressive vision of extremist candidates across the state, and once again showed that they believe in continuing to move our state forward. With so much on the line, DPI was proud to step in to push back against political agendas that posed a threat to our fundamental values,” DPI Chair Lisa Hernandez said. “I look forward to the ways in which these newly elected board members will work to make Illinois a safe and just place for all our children to grow up.”
“Illinoisans continue to reaffirm their commitment to a forward-looking state, and DPI is proud to have played a part in making that vision a reality. While we’re pleased by the outcomes of yesterday’s elections, our work isn’t done. This is just the beginning for DPI as we build a state party that functions as a resource and a support system for Democrats every year, in every corner of Illinois,” said DPI Executive Director Ben Hardin. “We knew this work wouldn’t be easy, especially given the organized movement from the far-right to disguise their true agenda, but we’re grateful that voters saw through the falsehoods and turned out to support credible community advocates. Our values were on the line in these races, and I’m proud that Illinoisans once again voted for fairness, equity, and inclusion in our state.”
The Democratic Party of Illinois launched an innovative program to prevent extremists from taking over school and library boards in response to dark money and candidate support from far-right organizations. DPI opposed candidates backed by known far-right organizations as well as those who have embraced values and policies that contradict those of the Party including censoring or banning books, blocking full spectrum sex education, teaching revisionist history and ignoring public health.” Throughout this unprecedented program, DPI reached hundreds of thousands of individuals and households in Illinois via digital and mail communications as well as on the ground organizing support, keeping over 70 extremists out of school and library board seats. The positive impacts of this support were made clear by the results of yesterday’s elections.
This initiative was brought forth as part of the new party building directive under the leadership of Chair Hernandez to provide year round support to Democrats through grassroots organizing and continuous voter engagement.
- Amalia - Wednesday, Apr 5, 23 @ 3:32 pm:
ah, receipts…. Good job, state party.
- Arsenal - Wednesday, Apr 5, 23 @ 3:34 pm:
Imagine if DPI would’ve started on this earlier.
Still, good to work on these often overlooked races, and to build some extremely local benches.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Apr 5, 23 @ 3:38 pm:
Saving Illinois from the worst… one school board seat, one library board seat… at a time.
Good on them.
- Tired teacher - Wednesday, Apr 5, 23 @ 3:58 pm:
Thank goodness. A lot of children benefited from this effort. Many thanks
- low level - Wednesday, Apr 5, 23 @ 4:01 pm:
They did a phenomenal job throughout the weekend and the results show it.
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Apr 5, 23 @ 4:07 pm:
===No list was provided.===
Pics or it didn’t happen.
- JS Mill - Wednesday, Apr 5, 23 @ 4:18 pm:
There have been a few times where I really appreciated the DPI. Yesterday was definitely one of them.
- Steve - Wednesday, Apr 5, 23 @ 5:01 pm:
-teaching revisionist history-
That a loaded term over the decades according to the American Historical Association. Who’s history should be taught? 1619 Project? Howard Zinn’s popular People’s History? Or the nation’s biggest selling historian Bill O’Reilly with 19 million history books sold? I prefer the peer reviewed stuff from university presses like Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Yale , and Princeton.
- Pot calling kettle - Wednesday, Apr 5, 23 @ 5:04 pm:
=== Pics or it didn’t happen===
The receipts are county by county. In my area, only two of ~12 candidates of concern won, and one of those was not opposed. The DPI help was definitely a factor in getting the word out about those folks.
- ArchPundit - Wednesday, Apr 5, 23 @ 5:15 pm:
===That a loaded term over the decades according to the American Historical Association
Largely agree, but I would phrase it slightly different. More like, history as a discipline increases its knowledge and thus revises prior interpretations. So calling something revisionist is problematic because all history is revised. I know this is a bit pedantic, but I think it’s useful in this case. The problem of those wanting to discuss only the positive aspects of US History and Western Civilization is that it’s not accurate.
The peer reviewed stuff is generally better, but we also have to have it packaged for K-12 and until high school (and often a couple years in to that) students aren’t ready for that level of material, but also they should be introduced to primary sources on top of the interpretations present in any historical work. In doing that packaging, we have to summarize that peer reviewed work and that requires choices of what history to highlight and what interpretations to endorse or compare using analysis tools.
All the while teaching students to love history.
Pretty easy.
- Steve - Wednesday, Apr 5, 23 @ 9:56 pm:
-The problem of those wanting to discuss only the positive aspects of US History and Western Civilization is that it’s not accurate.-
I totally agree. Especially since government failure is a big subject that many AHA types don’t want to cover. Criticizing the New Deal isn’t a way to get tenure in the top departments.
- Odysseus - Thursday, Apr 6, 23 @ 7:25 am:
“The problem of those wanting to discuss only the positive aspects of US History and Western Civilization is that it’s not accurate.”
Many of those “positive aspects” are highly dependent on specific viewpoints. 1850-1900 was a great time to be white, not so great for anyone else.
- OneMan - Thursday, Apr 6, 23 @ 7:46 am:
== -The problem of those wanting to discuss only the positive aspects of US History and Western Civilization is that it’s not accurate.- ==
True appreciation, respect, and even love come from a better understanding than just seeing all the positives and not being aware of or understanding the negatives. There is a reason ‘going in with blinders on’ is not considered a positive comment.
They whole ‘That may make someone feel bad’ concept on history just strikes me a profoundly stupid.
- Sandy - Monday, Apr 24, 23 @ 8:11 am:
How sad to see our district on the list. It’s unfortunate if a person has more conservative traditional values It’s looked down upon as extreme. As quoted in the article “our values were on the line in these races. Illinoisians once again voted for fairness, equity and inclusion.” Every tax paying parent should have a say not just one side. It’s not about teaching kids how to get along, teaching differences and acceptance. You’re not for that. If it was, all voices would be accepted and heard. You don’t want all to speak or be heard. Very hypocritical.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Apr 24, 23 @ 8:20 am:
=== How sad to see our district on the list. It’s unfortunate if a person has more conservative traditional values It’s looked down upon as extreme.===
Book banning is not how education works, and pushing your “traditional” values that are NOT open and welcoming to all is not something that should be embraced.
=== If it was, all voices would be accepted and heard.===
The bigotry and unwelcoming voices are not voices that helpful in society.
=== You don’t want all to speak or be heard. Very hypocritical.===
The empowering and embolden voices that are divisive are not part of a society encouraging togetherness.