Democrats claim control of Central Bucks school board in tense election
The hotly contested campaign was marked by deep partisan divisions, intense personal attacks and a surge in spending.
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Democrats claimed a sweep of the Central Bucks school board races Tuesday, wresting control from the GOP after a hotly contested campaign marked by deep partisan divisions, intense personal attacks and a surge in spending.
The floor of the Inn at Barley Sheaf Farm in Buckingham Township, the Bucks County Democratic headquarters Tuesday night, began to shake around 10:15 p.m. when State Sen. Steve Santarsiero made the announcement.
”We stood for change,” said Susan Gibson, an attorney who won election and was barraged with hugs after the wins were announced. “We did this with the community, for the community.”
Dana Foley, another winning Democrat, told the crowd that “we will lead with integrity, we will lead with compassion, we will lead with common sense, and we will serve the people that live in this community.”
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The Central Bucks election was closely watched, not just around the region but nationally: a community in a swing county in a swing state that has been at war with itself since the pandemic. Arguments over LGBTQ issues and book bans have dominated school board meetings, as the Republican-led board passed policies banning Pride flags in classrooms and “sexualized content” in library books.
The district has drawn heightened attention in part due to money. Paul Martino, a Central Bucks father, venture capitalist and GOP donor, poured $500,000 into school board races across Pennsylvania in 2021, an effort he framed in opposition to COVID school closures.
The intensity of the Central Bucks race escalated this campaign season, with Democrats and Republicans combined raising more than $600,000, according to an Inquirer analysis. Martino, whose wife, Aarati Martino, ran for the board, was responsible for $279,000 of that spending, including money that bankrolled a PAC attacking Democrats by sending thousands of homes sexually explicit images from books.
Aarati Martino lost to Rick Haring, whose wife, Becky Cartee-Haring, is a Central Bucks teacher suing the district over pay equity. More than 360 current and former teachers have joined the effort, which Republicans said would lead to steep tax increases.
Other winning Democrats include Heather Reynolds — who defeated board president Dana Hunter — and incumbent board member Karen Smith. Across the five races, Democrats won 57.7% of the vote, compared to Republicans’ 42.3%.