07/26/2026
Polk County School Board elections are supposed to be NON-PARTISAN.
The original post was from an official party account. The user who then shared the comment is a self-identified Conservative. (The name is redacted because they are a local resident, and I don't want anyone getting doxxed. They are not a leader or visible volunteer with any party.)
This type of language does not represent all Conservatives. The Conservative label is increasingly used by people whose rhetoric doesn't reflect what many would consider conservative values. Some culturally conservative spaces also struggle to recognize and moderate far-right and alt-right rhetoric.
Everyone knows that comparing somebody to an animal on the basis of their skin color is racist and dehumanizing.
But I also hope more people recognize that the original post is inappropriate for ANY political party or club to make about a 👉🏼 nonpartisan 👈🏼 school board election. Even when done in good faith, these labels are reductive. Let's focus on candidates' ideas and encourage critical thinking instead.
The "Conservative" label is plopped over both women as if they're interchangeable, even though they each have their own unique visions. Likewise, labels like "Democratic Socialist" are often used as political shorthand to evoke an emotional reaction rather than encourage people to engage with a candidate's actual ideas.
That's why our group did a nonpartisan showcase for the nonpartisan races, which can be viewed at the link below. Not all candidates could make it, but those who did had the opportunity to delve into their ideas, propose solutions, and truly educate the audience on how they would use their school board position.
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1DypNiRk1f/
(Note: Ironically, most reforms proposed by the Democratic Socialists of America use a capitalist framework. Many on the far-left criticize the DSA for being too capitalist. Personally, I do find DSA affiliates difficult to evaluate because the organization emphasizes broad coalition-building, and there seems to be internal disputes within the movement regarding pursuing a social democracy as a practical model vs. democratic socialism as an ideology — yes, those phrases look similar and mean two totally different things. I would recommend anyone personally concerned about this label to reach out and speak to candidates about what it means to them.)
