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Voters make their choices in state's school board elections

Delaware Public Media

Voters in school districts across the state went the polls Tuesday for school board elections.  Turnout, as usual, was low as 10 districts had contested races to decide.

Four of those districts with contested races were in New Castle County, where turnout failed to reach 10 percent in any district.

In the Brandywine School District, former state teacher of the year Kim Stock easily defeated Scott Gesty and Tanya Hettler. Stock received 5,343 of the 7,402 votes cast.

There were two contested races in the Christiana School District with Naveed Baqir and Donald Patton winning seats. Baqir defeated incumbent Warren Howell 1,506 votes to 921.  Patton emerged victorious in a three-way race.  He accumulated 1.195 votes to 950 for incumbent Susan Mitchell and 386 for Delilah Starcks.

In the Colonial School District, the lone contested race was won by Richard Schiller Jr., who edged Grandville Brown by 21 votes - 189 votes to 168.

And in the Red Clay School District, a 3-way race was won by Kecia Nesmith, whose 3,527 votes were more than her two opponents combined. Jaynce Colmery picked up 1,210 votes and Rafael Ochoa received 1,137.

In Kent County, there were two contested races and neither had more that 4% turnout.

Earle Dempsey won an at-large in the Lake Forest School District beating Camuron Young 189 votes to 62.

And in the Smyrna School District, Charlie Wilson defeated Diane Eastburn 660 to 387.

In Sussex County, there were five contested races in four districts.  None of the race hit 10% turnout.

Voters in the Cape Henlopen School District handed Janis Hanwell a easy victory over Ashley Murray 3,108 votes to 1.212.

In the Delmar School District, Farrah Morelli easily won a three-way race for one at-large seat – defeating Lawrence Sinagra and Carol Ann Harrington.   Morelli received 304 votes to 105 for Sinagra and 96 for Harrington.  Dawn Turner won another at-large seat – defeating Russell Smart by a 56-vote margin - 281 votes to 225.

In the Laurel School District, David Nichols survived a 3-battle for an at-large seat, winning by just 7 votes over Joseph Deiter - 147 votes to 140.  Ivy Bonk received 71 votes,

And Elaine Gallant topped Danielle Taylor 376 votes to 346 to win the contested race in the Woodbridge School District

Tom Byrne has been a fixture covering news in Delaware for three decades. He joined Delaware Public Media in 2010 as our first news director and has guided the news team ever since. When he's not covering the news, he can be found reading history or pursuing his love of all things athletic.
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