Aaron Anthony Benner
Aaron Anthony Benner was a candidate for at-large representative on the Saint Paul Board of Education in Minnesota. The general election was held on November 3, 2015. Aaron Anthony Benner lost the general election on November 3, 2015.
Benner informally ended his campaign on September 16, 2015, but he still appeared on the ballot since the formal withdrawal deadline was August 13, 2015. He stated that if he had won, he would not take office.[1] In an interview with the Pioneer Press, he explained that he withdrew because, "I'm having a great time in my new position and I just don't have the time to run a successful campaign." Benner left his teaching position with Saint Paul Public Schools for a position with the Community of Peace Academy.[2]
Biography
Aaron Anthony Benner resides in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Benner has spent more than two decades as an educator and classroom teacher. Prior to his resignation in 2015, he taught fourth grade students at John A. Johnson Elementary in Saint Paul Public Schools.[3] According to the Star Tribune, Benner "was one of five teachers to publicly challenge Superintendent Valeria Silva and school board members about perceived missteps, giving rise to the Caucus for Change movement to replace board incumbents."[4]
Elections
2015
The election in Saint Paul featured four of the seven seats on the board up for at-large general election on November 3, 2015.
The seats of incumbents Anne Carroll, Mary Doran, Keith Hardy, and Louise Seeba were up for election. Hardy, who was the only incumbent who filed for re-election, faced challengers Aaron Anthony Benner, Greg Copeland, Zuki Ellis, Linda Freeman, Steve Marchese, Scott Raskiewicz, Jon Schumacher, and Mary Vanderwert for the four at-large seats.
Ellis, Marchese, Schumacher, and Vanderwert won the four seats. All four were endorsed by the Saint Paul Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, and they campaigned together as an unofficial candidate slate.[5]
Benner informally ended his campaign on September 16, 2015, but he still appeared on the ballot since the formal withdrawal deadline was August 13, 2015. He stated that if he had won, he would not take office. Copeland previously ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the board in 2013.
Results
| Saint Paul Public Schools, At-Large, General Election, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Mary Vanderwert |
20.3% | 17,777 |
| Zuki Ellis |
17.4% | 15,290 |
| Jon Schumacher |
16.7% | 14,652 |
| Steve Marchese |
16.6% | 14,524 |
| Keith Hardy Incumbent | 9.7% | 8,548 |
| Linda Freeman | 6.7% | 5,914 |
| Greg Copeland | 5.1% | 4,468 |
| Scott Raskiewicz | 3.2% | 2,810 |
| Aaron Anthony Benner | 3.0% | 2,660 |
| Write-in votes | 1.19% | 1,047 |
| Total Votes | 87,690 | |
| Source: Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State, "Local Results in Ramsey County," accessed November 4, 2015 These election results are not official and will be updated when certified results are available. You can submit certified results by contacting us. |
||
Finanzierung
Benner reported no contributions or expenditures to the Ramsey County Election Office during the election.[6]
Endorsements
Benner did not receive any official endorsements during the election.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Aaron Anthony Benner' 'Saint Paul Public Schools'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Pioneer Press, "Former St. Paul school board candidate's name to remain on ballot," September 17, 2015
- ↑ Pioneer Press, "St. Paul schools critic drops out of board race," September 16, 2015
- ↑ City Pages, "Outspoken Teacher Aaron Benner Jumps into St Paul School Board Race," August 10, 2015
- ↑ Star Tribune, "No longer a St. Paul teacher, Aaron Benner to run for school board seat," August 6, 2015
- ↑ Pioneer Press, "Ellis, Marchese, Schumacher, Vanderwert: We're of varied background and opinion, and we'll keep doing our homework," April 25, 2015
- ↑ Ramsey County Election Office, "Campaign Finance Reports - 2015," accessed November 1, 2015
| 2015 Saint Paul Public Schools Elections | |
| Ramsey County, Minnesota | |
| Election date: | November 3, 2015 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Incumbent, Keith Hardy • Aaron Anthony Benner • Greg Copeland • Zuki Ellis • Linda Freeman • Steve Marchese • Scott Raskiewicz • Jon Schumacher • Mary Vanderwert |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
