Niess told this outlet she’s disappointed her name has been tied, without her consent, to Ohioans United for Public Education and disavowed the organization’s television ads that she said have criticized two conservative candidates in the race.
“Even though I didn’t know I was being endorsed by them, I don’t like being associated with those attack ads,” she said.
Miamisburg’s school board race and others across the region have been marked by the involvement of larger political organizations. The non-partisan race features five candidates vying for three open seats, with November’s results set to determine political control over the board.
Niess, along with Shelbi Nunery and Chris Amsler, have been backed by the left-leaning Ohioans United for Public Education; while Ryan Riddell and Chris Keilholz have been backed by the right-leaning 1776 Project PAC.
Ohioans United for Public Education’s website lists Riddell and Keilholz, among a host of other conservative school board candidates, as “community dividers” that are “driving a dangerous agenda.”
But whereas the 1776 Project PAC’s endorsements were earned through an application process; Niess and Nunery told this outlet that they were endorsed by Ohioans United for Public Education out of the blue.
“We have not been contacted from this PAC; We did not apply to be a part of this PAC,” Nunery said in an interview.
Keilholz previously told this outlet in an email that, while his opponents distance themselves from their endorsements, they “clearly benefit from these attacks.”
Both Nunery and Niess told this outlet that they disavowed Ohioans United for Public Education more for its tactics than its platform.
“I mean, they do support public education,” Neiss said. “But, you know, I just absolutely don’t support these ad attacks. I just believe that anybody that’s running for the board of education probably really does care about students in our community.”
“I’m a public school teacher,” said Nunery, “I teach in a public school district, and my kids attend public school, so I’m a very big supporter of public schools. But I did not ask to be a part of their endorsement list.”
Amsler did not respond to a request for comment before publication.
Ohioans United for Public Education does not have a phone number or an email address listed on its website, though the site does list an address that links back to the Columbus law offices of The Ruppert Co., LLC, which describes itself as “political, business and non-profit legal counsel.” The office is affiliated with a slew of left-leaning political organizations in Ohio.
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Avery Kreemer can be reached at 614-981-1422, on X, via email, or you can drop him a comment/tip with the survey below.
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