I Was a School Librarian for 24 Years. Then I Ran For Office!

I was an elementary school librarian for 24 years. A few years ago, a school board member challenged a high school library book about transgenderism. While it was non-fiction and clinical, he felt it was inappropriate. He made clear he was acting as a parent, not a board member, and if it came to a vote, he would recuse himself. Per district policy, we formed a committee, consisting of himself, all district librarians including me, the high school principal, the superintendent, the school counselor, and several interested parents and students. We all came to the same conclusion: the book was age-appropriate, and should stay.

The board member then brought it to the board for a vote, and with his vote, managed to put the book on restricted access.

This set wrong with me, as he was clearly using his elected office to push a personal agenda. But I felt powerless. The board controlled the district, after all. I’d like to change district policy, but as a teacher, I was ineligible to run.

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A few years later, I was contacted by an old friend, a former state legislator. She told me that today was the last day to register to run for city council. I live in a small, very conservative city in a red state. But she said the man who held the position had been there for over twenty years and was running unopposed. After consulting with my wife, I went for it.

Getting my name on the ballot was ridiculously easy. The city clerk asked if I was a resident, a citizen, an adult, and a taxpayer. I filled out a couple of forms and in twenty minutes, I was a candidate.

When I announced I was running on social media, I was surprised at how many people told me that I had their vote. And why not? Every person in my town who’d had a kid in the elementary school knew me (and some of those kids are now old enough to vote). True, there was pushback. I was called a libtard and worse, but I didn't back down. I spent $200 on yard signs. I wrote a letter to the editor of the local paper.

People offered me money for my campaign, but I declined. Not out of a sense of propriety, but I just didn’t want to deal with the laws about campaign contributions. They’re not complicated, but I’d just as soon not go there.

Now, my opponent had been on the city council for a quarter century. He was a former mayor and the current mayor pro-tempore. He was well-liked and respected. His position was secure. I think he felt he didn’t have to campaign. When the paper interviewed me, as well as a write-in candidate who eventually dropped out, I assume they offered to interview him as well, but he must have declined.

The League of Women Voters held a “Meet the Candidate” forum. We answered prepared questions. Most of the questions seemed to be slanted toward him and his experience. I simply said that while I was inexperienced, I was willing to learn, while he argued under the assumption that this was his office and he didn’t need to defend it.

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Election day rolled around. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find election results for city council? But eventually, there it was. I’d won. We’d split the votes, but I had 39 more.

Here’s the thing. Over 150 voters who cast a ballot didn’t vote for a city council candidate. I'm assuming because they really didn't know either of us or care who won either way. And since the election was in April, it would surprise me if more than a tenth of eligible voters actually voted. Also, city council is not a partisan party, so we didn't declare a party affiliation that might have otherwise guided undecided voters.

My point is, few people really care one way or the other about minor elections like this. The incumbent assumed he was safe and didn't bother to campaign. By rallying my friend base, I was able to squeak in and claim a victory. So call your city clerk and find out when the next elections are. Put your name in. Use social media to your advantage. You might be surprised at how many of your friends might get excited about a race when they know someone in it. And now, for the next three years, I get to help make decisions for the city.

Oh, and the school board member who banned the book? He lost his reelection bid last year.