Election Results in Big Grove – 2023

Election day was not a big deal in Big Grove Township as only 51 of 1,222 registered voters cast a ballot in the school board races. Locals realized the inevitability of two incumbents running for two positions they held the last term or longer. If people wanted to vote, fine. Most realized a single vote did not make a difference during this election and found other things to do with their time. There are no trends to observe or wisdom to be garnered from the results now known.

Congratulations to Adam Haluska and Jami Wolf for deciding to serve on the school board another four years and then for winning their uncontested race.

The contested races for Solon School Board were in 2019 and 2021 when there were more candidates running against establishment views. Establishment voters beat them all down. Apparently, this same surge of younger people running for the board didn’t see an opportunity this cycle.

Elsewhere in the county progressives mostly won. Of note is that Laura Bergus beat incumbent Pauline Taylor in the District A Iowa City City Council race 5,942 votes to 2,995. Bergus ran an innovative campaign and brought in a number of younger voters. Her victory was a sign that the electorate is turning away from the long-time Johnson County Democratic machine into something more hopeful. It was a shocker when SEIU, the union Taylor helped organize in the county, endorsed Bergus. It was also a sign of the times.

Statewide, the book banners, curriculum white-washers, and so-called pro-parent groups did poorly as their bankrupt ideas indicated they should. Those folks were not an identified presence in Big Grove Township. If anything, the Solon District is built around parents who want a say in how the school operates. That’s why it attracts so many young, Republican people to the area. The conservatism is baked into why the schools are what they are.

In the rest of the country, it was a good night for progressive policies. I usually follow Virginia politics as my father’s family came from coal country in the Southwestern part of the state. This time, Virginia Democrats retained the state senate and flipped the state house to Democratic. Well done, Virginia.

I don’t have anything to say about the Ohio initiative to enshrine in the state constitution the right to make and carry out one’s own reproductive decisions. Scores of articles appeared after the polls closed to examine that issue. Pro choice folks scored a victory, and deserve one minute of celebration. With abortion, there is almost never agreement or a final word. The compromises in Roe vs. Wade are likely the best society could do. The U.S. Supreme Court unleashed chaos when they overturned Roe. Any reasonable person would say the court’s action was intentional, long-planned, and based on what moneyed interests want the court to do.

Here in Big Grove Township we don’t get all drama-queen about elections any longer. We’re just thankful there were two candidates on the ballot for two positions. In the nearby City of Swisher, it was write-in votes only as no one ran for mayor. 104 voters wrote someone in. Let’s hope they take the job, something not always guaranteed.