Are school board elections supposed to be nasty?

George Washington once called the Republic “a solemn experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people." When elections devolve into personal destruction — driven by censorship, muscle, and money instead of principled debate — we betray that trust.

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I never imagined that running for the Issaquah School Board would bring such harassment. Despite being a highly qualified, brown-skinned, first-generation naturalized citizen, I've been labeled a Nazi, a fascist, a racist, a bigot — and worse. These terms have now become swear words, rather than moral judgments. Some of this language has been echoed or endorsed by my opponent in Facebook groups we were both part of. I asked her directly to disavow it, to no avail.

 

Forces backing the status quo are very angry with me for asking questions. Every day, I receive hate mail. Fake websites and fake accounts have been created to smear me around the clock. Our social-media posts documenting vandalism against my campaign — including destroyed yard signs — have been mass-reported and taken down. I even sent a written proposal to my opponent's campaign, suggesting we send a joint email asking supporters to stop the vandalism and focus on policy. That offer was ignored.

My opponent is endorsed and supported by the special interests that have profited from the downward spiral of student outcomes, despite increased funding. While she has been able to operate freely and collect funds for her campaign, many of my supporters have told me that they fear retaliation for their families if they speak up or donate to my campaign. A dozen Issaquah residents have asked me to send emails to school authorities regarding various issues, as they fear their child will be punished if they come forward themselves. Several donors have asked me if I can accept anonymous donations (which I've had to decline) because they fear for their jobs and their child's grades. I've paid the balance out of my own pocket, and for that crime of investing in my own campaign, my opponent has publicly attacked me live on Channel 21 as someone with an 'agenda.'

 

Are lies, insults, and dirty tricks now the measure of how School Board campaigns are run? Do we want good people to step forward and serve — or is the price of civic duty and public service a mud bath of personal attacks?  Surely, this is not how we attract the best and brightest minds to local politics. If this is what it takes to run, we will drive away the principled and make room for the cynical. Maybe it is a deliberate attempt to force candidates like me to give up, serving as a cautionary tale.