Money talks, but Republican voters in the school chief primary chose not to listen last week.
In a crowded nine-person race for state school superintendent, voters snubbed better-bankrolled candidates for veteran educators Mike Buck of Rome and Richard Woods of Tifton.
Chief academic officer at the state Department of Education, Buck earned nearly 92,000 votes, while Woods, who spent 22 years in public education, garnered about 78,400. They will face each other in the July 22 runoff.
Their victories surprised political pundits who were betting on candidates with higher name recognition and longer donor lists. Among them was former DeKalb County school board member, well-known blogger and self-styled “mom with calculator” Nancy Jester, who finished fifth in the primary.
The two African-American candidates in the Republican primary were touted as new faces of a more inclusive Georgia GOP. But former Hall County Commissioner Ashley Bell, who reported $41,325 in contributions, ended up fourth, and Cobb County business leader T. Fitz Johnson, who reported contributions of $277,485, managed only a sixth-place finish.
Contributions clearly did not equal votes in this idiosyncratic race where third-place finisher Mary Kay Bacallao, a college professor from Peachtree City who campaigned against Common Core, only reported $4,082 in contributions but collected nearly 72,000 votes.
On their latest financial disclosure statements, Buck reports $14,069 in contributions to date, while Woods reports $18,448
So what did voters consider? It wasn’t political experience. Buck is a neophyte, and Woods has one failed primary attempt at the school chief’s post back in 2010, a contest he lost to current officeholder John Barge. (Barge chose not to seek a second term as superintendent, gambling and losing a primary challenge last week to Gov. Nathan Deal.)
In debates, the lack of education background proved a handicap, especially when candidates opposed to the Common Core State Standards were asked to elaborate and fell back on the misinformation that Common Core was a curriculum developed by the federal government.
“On the GOP side, education experience seemed to count, which is a positive,” said Tim Callahan, spokesman for the Professional Association of Georgia Educators. “It seemed to have counted for less on the Democratic side.”
In the Democratic primary for school superintendent, only two of the six candidates were not professional educators, but the pair emerged the top vote-getters Tuesday.
Former city of Decatur school board chair Valarie Wilson won the most votes, followed by choice supporter Rep. Alisha Thomas Morgan, D-Austell. Wilson earned more than 96,000 votes while Morgan collected 78,000, setting up a July rematch.
While neither are classroom educators, Wilson and Morgan have high profiles in education around the state and already have squared off once. As the president of the Georgia School Boards Association 2012, Wilson led the association’s unsuccessful effort against the controversial charter schools amendment championed by Morgan.
Wilson’s statewide role with the school boards association and her South Georgia roots — she is a native of Swainsboro — bolstered her in the primary. Wilson took her home county of Emanuel with 459 votes, compared to Morgan’s 42.
It will likely be metro Atlanta that decides the contest in July, and Morgan is at home here. A legendary speaker, Morgan brings the most passion to the podium.
Of course, the deciding factor in a runoff is who shows up, which is why all four candidates are already sending out “we need you more than ever” messages to supporters. Which voters heed that call will determine the November ticket.
