Two candidates for Anchorage School District’s school board have dropped out of the race ahead of the April 5 election, in an effort to consolidate votes behind other like-minded candidates — and as two self-described conservative challengers attempt to unseat two incumbents board members.
Last week a third conservative candidate, Cliff Murray, announced his withdrawal from the race for school board Seat Aposted to his campaign page last week and urged Anchorage voters to support candidate Mark Anthony Cox instead. Cox, who also appeared in the video, said Murray’s withdrawal would help to avoid “splitting the vote” of conservatives.
Similarly, Benjamin Baldwin, a candidate for Seat B, threw his support behind Lessens’ campaign and withdrew from the race earlier this month. At the time, he said in an interview that Lessens shares similar values and that he did not want to take support away from her campaign because she is more likely to win.
Candidate Dan Loring is also running against Bellamy and Cox, while perennial candidate Dustin Darden is also running for Seat B against Ries and Lessens.
I heard Mark Anthony Cox speak today and I found him clear and confident. He cited his quality education as being invaluable to making him the person he is; intelligent, successful and optimistic. He seems to want that for all Anchorage’s students. Quality I will vote for.