In the recent elections in Virginia, Moms for Liberty, an anti-LGBTQ+ extremist group, faced significant setbacks. Out of the six candidates endorsed by the group, five are on the verge of defeat. This comes as a significant blow to Moms for Liberty’s efforts to push a far-right agenda onto local school boards, particularly in Loudon County. Despite their support, only one candidate, Deana L. Griffiths, managed to secure a seat, winning by a narrow margin of one percentage point. In Prince William County, Mario Beckles lost his race, while Montgomery County saw Mark Miear trailing behind incumbent Penny Franklin by 67 votes as of Wednesday morning.
Iowa: A Resounding Rejection Moms for Liberty’s influence waned further in Iowa, where nine out of the 13 endorsed candidates lost their elections. Laura Steffeck, Kevin Slaman, and Tom Law were unsuccessful in their bids for seats on the Linn-Mar school board. Meanwhile, in Polk County, Teri Patrick, the Education Chair for Moms for Liberty’s local chapter, lost her bid for the West Des Moines school board, alongside Charles Steele and Michelle Veach, who failed in their races for open at-large seats on the Johnston Community School Board of Education.
Minnesota and North Carolina: A Lack of Support In Minnesota, not one of the four candidates endorsed by Moms for Liberty received a double-digit share of the vote in their races in the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan school district. In North Carolina, the group’s sole endorsed candidate lost her bid for one of three open seats on the Mooresville Graded School District Board of Education.
Pennsylvania and Ohio: Mixed Results Moms for Liberty faced mixed results in Pennsylvania and Ohio. While Cynthia Lampkins and John Dooley lost in Ohio’s Gahanna-Jefferson City School District board race, Alex Bilchak failed to secure an at-large seat on the New Albany-Plain Local School District board. In Pennsylvania, there was a divided response, with some candidates fearing that an endorsement might alienate moderate voters. Michael Hartline (R) appears to have defeated incumbent Democrat Shelley Eilenberg in the race for her seat on the Centennial School District board, but other candidates endorsed by Moms for Liberty faced losses, particularly in Bucks County, where Democrats prevailed in several races.
Moms for Liberty’s past activities, marked by their opposition to LGBTQ+ and anti-racist content in schools, have drawn widespread attention and controversy. Despite their efforts, the recent election results signal a potential decline in their influence, as voters in multiple states have rejected their endorsed candidates.