Iowa School Board Candidates Endorsed by Right-Wing Groups and Promoted by Evangelical Churches
Candidates for school boards in Iowa endorsed by right-wing groups including Moms for Liberty, Moms for America, and The FAMiLY LEADER, campaign on opposition to 'Marxists control our schools.'
At least 15 candidates for school boards in Iowa have been endorsed by right-wing groups including Moms for Liberty, Moms for America, and The FAMiLY LEADER, and these candidates’ campaigns are primarily focused on opposition to right-wing media perception that “Marxists control our schools” which are “deviating into social agendas.”
The Dallas County chapter of Moms for Liberty endorsed a pair of candidates for the Dallas Center - Grimes Community School District: Sean Cully and Matthew Moran.
Cully is a staff member and pastor at Eternity Church, an evangelical Christian church lead by pastor Jesse Newman, an outspoken right-wing conservative from Australia who would frequently comment on culture war issues on his now deleted Twitter/X account.
Newman recently appeared on a podcast with Sean Feucht, far right Christian Nationalist, and loudly proclaimed “Amen” as Feucht said that the “enemy has come to attack” LGBTIQ youth who are “battling identity.”
During a state legislative hearing, Cully said that while he would prefer his children remain in public schools, “the continual attack we keep seeing against the nuclear family from the Marxist left, we may have no choice but to leave.”
The Linn County chapter of Moms for Liberty endorsed half a dozen candidates in three school districts: Greg Papin (Mount Vernon Community School District); Barclay Woener and Rick David (Cedar Rapids Community School District); and Laura Steffeck, Kevin Slaman and Tom Law (Linn-Mar Community School District).
Barclay stated he is running for school board because he believes the “board is in need of a Christian, conservative-minded member with a background in business.”
On his campaign website, Barclay claims the “health of our children was put at risk by the board when they signed an agreement with Planned Parenthood,” and that the “innocence of our children is not being protected “ because “over 30 inappropriate books have been found in libraries.”
David, who is also endorsed by the right-wing group Moms for America Action, lists his priorities on his campaign website which include ensuring “only age-appropriate material” in schools and “no transgender bath/locker rooms,” and said that “Marxists control our schools.”
David has used his Facebook campaign page to promote an anti-trans film produced by the far right and conspiracy promoting media outlet Epoch TImes, and on his personal Facebook page promoted an event featuring the Christian nationalist pseudohistorian David Barton.
Linn-Mar Community School District, located in the eastern part of the state in Linn County, has been the target of right-wing media hysteria and Republican politicians.
In addition to the endorsement of Moms for Liberty, each of the Linn-Mar candidates is supported by Jeremy Higgins, the pastor of Calvary Community Church who regularly post right-wing anti-mask, anti-vaccine, and anti-LGBTIQ content on his Facebook page.
Slaman states on his campaign website that his priority will be to “maintain focus on what are the needs for the school district and not the wants,” and his campaign yard signs are emblazed with the phrase: “Education Over Ideology.”
“Focus on teaching kids how to think, not what to think,” Slaman told The Cedar Rapids Gazette, “I think there’s an agenda in the school.”
The FAMiLY Leader, a right-wing fundamentalist Christian organization, is headquartered in Polk County, and endorsed a slate of four candidates for Johnston School District: Michelle Veach, Charles Steele, Lori Stiles, and Josh Nelson. The Polk County chapter of Moms for Liberty also endorsed Charles Steele and for Michelle Veach, as well as Teri Patrick (West Des Moines Community School District)
The Johnston school board candidates also have the support of a local GOP group, and were reportedly part of a homecoming parade float “promoting former President Trump.”
Veach, who has focused her campaign on “advocating for parental rights,” has been at the center of contentious and bitter ideological division within the Johnston School District. During a school board meeting in December 2021, Veach “read out explicit passages” from book that she opposed, which included anti-gay and anti-Black slurs.
The Warren County chapter of Moms for Liberty endorsed a pair of candidates: Nathan Gibson (Interstate 35 Community School District) and Patty Sereg Alexander (Indianola Community School District).
So many vicious, cruel, power-mad women, masquerading as "concerned mothers"...what a country.
Tax these Churches, sticking their business in POLITICS!