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A new group describing itself as a nonpartisan, grassroots organization is backing five candidates in the Huntley Community School District 158 school board races in the April 1 election.
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The group, Candidates for All Kids, is supporting incumbents Sean Cratty and Paul Troy, along with challengers Melissa Maiorino and Rich Bobby for the four, four-year seats that are up, and while challenger Andrew Fekete for a two-year seat that is also on the ballot.
The other candidates are Corine Burns, Andrew Martin, Cassie Khurana and Jim Hollich for the four-year seats and incumbent Dana Wiley for the two-year seat.
The five people backed by Candidates for All Kids also received the endorsement of the district’s teachers union, the Huntley Education Association, according to the union’s Facebook page.
Christine Hamm, one of the Candidates for All Kids organizers, said the group consists of many moms and community members. Hamm said her children went to District 158 schools.
While the organization has “no partisan connections whatsoever,” Hamm specifically mentioned opposing candidates who want to get rid of LGBTQ+ clubs. District 158 has a student group, Recognizing American Diversity, that offers an LGBTQ+ Pride event each year and the high school’s website lists a gender and sexuality alliance group.
Political party allegiance was not a factor in getting behind the candidates, Hamm said, stressing that while the group’s members have their own political views, the group has no affiliation with any political party or organizations. The organization stated on its website that members are not affiliated with any campaigns.
Some members of the group stressed they wanted to keep the school board nonpartisan.
Jessica Massman, another group member, said she wanted to keep the board focused on students, educators and staff. She said in her personal view, the board has shifted to become more partisan in recent years.
Candidates for All Kids purchased a space at the Huntley Expo a couple of weeks ago, and Massman said group members were encouraged by the response they got and wanted to get out in the community. The organization has worked to get out information about candidates and voting.
Despite the election formally being nonpartisan, political parties have been wading into local elections. In the school board race, Burns, Martin and Wiley have the support of the Grafton Township GOP.
In McHenry County and statewide, the Democratic Party has been weighing in on local elections, but none of the candidates in District 158 received the party’s recommendation.
Maiorino had previously served on the school board, but was ousted alongside other incumbents two years ago by a slate that included current board President Andy Bittman, Vice President Laura Murray, Michael Thompson and Gina Galligar.
That slate had campaigned on a platform including lowering taxes, emphasizing test scores and removing what they felt were political agendas from the classroom. Some of the candidates who won election two years ago had been critical of COVID-19 school closures and mask mandates, and Murray was among two parents who sued Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker over mask requirements.
Galligar resigned several months into the term, and Wiley was appointed to the seat. Thompson opted not to run again as did incumbent Anthony Quagliano.
In the past two years, the board has waded into controversial issues including whether to accept a library grant tied to Illinois’ anti-book ban law or whether to ban transgender care in the school district. The board ultimately declined to take up such a ban that the Grafton GOP had proposed.
Hamm said the organization has stressed the importance of local elections, but she said the organization wasn’t sure yet if it will wade into other elections and had been laser-focused on the current school board race.