Broward Republicans make School Board endorsements
The Broward Republican Party is weighing in on Broward School Board races, urging the ouster of two incumbents who the GOP wants to see replaced with challengers tied to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
And in an open seat with no incumbent, the Republican Party is endorsing a third candidate who was affected by the Feb. 14 massacre at Stoneman Douglas, where 17 people were killed and 17 injured.
Two of the endorsed candidates are parents whose children were killed at their school.
The elections, which are open to all voters, are Aug. 28, the same day as Democratic and Republican primaries to pick candidates to run for partisan offices such as governor and Congress.
The Republicans Party’s recommendations:
Challenger Ryan Petty was endorsed over incumbent Donna Korn in District 8, which is an atlarge seat that includes the entire county.
Petty’s daughter Alaina was killed in the massacre. Petty is a registered Republican.
Korn, who was originally appointed to the School Board by Gov. Rick Scott in 2011, and subsequently won re-election, was a longtime Republican. She changed her registration to no party affiliation on July 12, records show.
The Republican Party issued its endorsements last week, before the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported over the weekend that Petty has a history of controversial Twitter posts. In comments written mostly between 2008 and 2013, he often made jokes or sarcastic remarks that mention blacks, Jews, Muslims, gays, liberals and unions.
Broward Republican Chairman George Moraitis said via text message Sunday that the endorsement would stand. “BREC made its endorsement of Ryan Petty before the recent article, and we do not agree with the content of the tweets quoted. Ryan Petty has apologized and earned the BREC endorsement based on his registration as a
Republican and his campaign to make our schools safer including the long overdue repeal of the PROMISE program,” Moraitis said.
BREC stands for the Broward Republican Executive Committee, which is the formal name of the county Republican Party.
PROMISE is the school district program that offers alternatives to students arrested for some misdemeanors. The School District initially said the Parkland shooter was never eligible for the program but later said he started PROMISE but didn’t complete it.
A third candidate, Elijah Manley, is also running for the countywide seat.
Challenger Richard Mendelson was endorsed over incumbent Laurie Rich Levinson, in District 6, which includes Cooper City, Davie and Weston.
Mendelson, a registered Republican, is a former Stoneman Douglas teacher.
Levinson, a Democrat, has been on the School Board since 2010. She’s the daughter of Nan Rich, one of the most liberal members of the Broward County Commission and the former Democratic Party leader in the Florida Senate.
Candidate Lori Alhadeff was endorsed for the District 4 seat that includes Parkland, Coral Springs and Tamarac.
Alhadeff whose daughter Alyssa was killed at the school. She’s a Democrat hoping to replace the departing Abby Freedman.
Other candidates are Tennille Doe-Decoste, whose son’s best friend was killed at the school, and Michael Kottler, a Coral Springs parent.
The Republican Party urged support for two incumbents, who are Democrats, seeking re-election.
One is Ann Murray, who is running for reelection in District 1, which includes Dania Beach, Hallandale Beach and Hollywood. She’s being challenged by Natalia Garceau, Veronica Newmeyer and Jim Silvernale.
The other is Nora Rupert, who is seeking reelection to the District 7 seat that includes Coconut Creek, Deerfield Beach and Pompano Beach. She’s being challenged by Mike Obel and Hubert St Clair.
School Board races are nonpartisan, which means the candidates run without party labels. But political insiders are aware of the political affiliations of the candidates who run for officially nonpartisan offices, like School Board, judgeships and city commissions.
The Broward Republicans’ endorsements didn’t come with any explanations. The endorsements were decided on by the local party’s executive board.
Judicial races
Like School Board contests, races for judge are nonpartisan elections held on Aug. 28 and open to all voters.
The Republican Party made endorsements in some, but not all, judicial races.
In circuit court races, the party endorsed Ernest Kollra (incumbent), Kristin Weisberg Padowitz, Stefanie Moon, Michael Usan (incumbent), and Maria Markhasin-Weekes.
In county court races, the Republicans recommended Tanner Channing Demmery, Michael Davis (incumbent), and Robert Lee (incumbent).
In the nonpartisan elections, if one candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote, that person wins the seat. If no one wins a majority, the top two face each other in a runoff in the Nov. 6 election.