Candidates backed by the controversial parents’ rights advocacy group Moms for Liberty lost big in Tuesday night’s off-year elections.
Moms for Liberty is described by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) as a far-right extremist group.
“Moms for Liberty and its nationwide chapters combat what they consider the ‘woke indoctrination’ of children by advocating for book bans in school libraries and endorsing candidates for public office that align with the group’s views,” SPLC states, adding that the group spreads “hateful imagery and rhetoric against the LGBTQ community.”
Moms for Liberty has attempted to steer curriculum rightward by running candidates for school boards nationwide. But this year it saw minimal success.
Its loss was most pronounced in Iowa, where the group endorsed 13 candidates for school board races across the state. Only one person of the 13—Nathan Gibson—won their race.
While some Moms for Liberty-backed candidates, including those in Alaska and Colorado, fared well on Tuesday, the losses extended far beyond just Iowa.
In Loudon County, Virginia, three of the four endorsed candidates are currently trailing in their races.
Hot-button issues central to Moms for Liberty’s mission have been frequently raised in the county that has seen ongoing protests against the district’s transgender bathroom policy. The school district gained national attention during the 2021 gubernatorial race for its role in a sexual assault that happened in a bathroom.
In Minnesota, Moms for Liberty endorsed four candidates for the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan School District who were all unsuccessful in their bids on Tuesday. Not one gained double-digit support.
According to the Daily Beast, a Moms for Liberty voter guide suggested to voters in Central Bucks, Pennsylvania to support candidates in five district—though the guide did not amount to an “official endorsement.”
Central Bucks’ school board race was swept by five Democrats who ousted Republican candidates—all of whom had been included in the guide.
Pennridge, another school district in Bucks County, similarly saw all five of its open seats go to Democratic candidates, according to the Daily Beast.
