The plan to get Alameda County Republicans elected to school boards

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Former California Republican Party Chair Shawn Steel exhorted Alameda County Republican Central Committee members Wednesday night in San Leandro to run for school board, community college district, and county board of education seats.

COUNTY NEWS

ALAMEDA COUNTY REPUBLICANS

—BACK TO SCHOOL—Since last year Alameda County Democratic insiders have voiced concerns that Republicans are organizing to get conservatives elected to school board elections in the East Bay.

—Last fall, a few conservatives ran boisterous campaigns in a few Alameda County cities, but were defeated. In addition, a number school board meeting were ambushed by far-right groups angrily opposing issues, such as the drag queen reading hours at local libraries.

—The local Democrats’ intel is good, because California Republicans, including the Alameda County Republican Party, are indeed targeting local school board races in November 2024.

—Shawn Steel, the former chair of the California Republican Party and current committeeman for the party, says schools board races, including community college districts and county Board of Education, contain overlooked opportunities for Republicans to gain a foothold in places like Alameda County where conservatives barely hold any seats.

—“It’s cheap. You can get elected,” Steel said, snapping to attention a member of the Alameda County GOP Central Committee that was looking at his phone. School board district seats are often smaller and walkable for candidates to canvass door-to-door, he added.

—“Is there anything worse than the Oakland school district?” Steel asked the group. “Yes. LAUSD. So it’s a race to the bottom,” he said, referring to the Los Angeles Unified School District. “If you do anything here, it’s a net positive.”

—However, Steel acknowledged prospective school board candidates shouldn’t expect funding from the state party, a perpetually problem that Alameda County Republicans running for state and federal office often learn about after they enter races. But candidate training and access to the party’s valuable voter lists is the real prize.

—When I asked about Oakland and Berkeley allowing 16- and 17-year olds to vote in school board elections, Steel said, “It’s evil.”

—“The good news is 16- and 17-year olds—that’s like five percent of the vote—but that’s how they win,” he said of Democrats, “with the percentages. One percent here and there.”