Esther Wells is running for Montgomery County Board of Education. She holds many harmful beliefs and affiliations that will make students less safe. NOTE: While she is running in District 1, everyone who votes in Montgomery County can vote in this race! This is just some of her record:

 

  • During the primaries, Esther Wells ran on the New Dawn Slate with Michael Fryar and Dawn Iannaco-Hahn. New Dawn Slate members publicly stated their extremist views and opposition to masking and unions. 
  • The New Dawn Slate has been endorsed by United Against Racism in Education (UARE), which is affiliated with the MoCo GOP, as well as Help Save Maryland, which the Southern Poverty Law Center has identified as an anti-immigrant hate group. 
  • In one of her interviews with right-wing media, Wells affirmed the host’s anti-CRT rhetoric by insinuating that talking about race is the real racism.
  • Wells signed onto an open letter opposing COVID-19 vaccines for children. 
  • Wells does not stand up for LGBTQ+ students, even as discriminatory policies are systematically instituted nationwide. She repeatedly keeps her answers around protections for LGBTQ+ students vague. When a constituent expressed concerns about Wells purposefully misgendering people, she claimed the interaction was misrepresented. Instead of clarifying her views, she insulted the teachers union.
  • Wells notes on her campaign website that she serves as “Chairman & President Trustee of the Board of a multi-million dollar non-profit in Gaithersburg.” She does not reveal that the non-profit states on its website that it “opposes all forms of sexual immorality, including…homosexuality.” 
  • UARE, Clean Slate MoCo, and Moderately MoCo, which have all endorsed Wells, use divisive, dog-whistling rhetoric that further marginalizes the most vulnerable students. 

 

District 1 needs a Board of Education member who will advocate for Black, brown, immigrant, and LGBTQ+ students. Montgomery County needs leaders who will unite, not divide, our diverse community.

¹Screenshots of New Dawn Slate member’s social media: https://twitter.com/gunsensemelissa/status/1543935914988142593
²Tweet from a New Dawn Slate member:  https://twitter.com/Dawn_LCPC/status/1552151685220499456
³“A New Dawn” MoCo School Board Candidates. The Larry O’Connor Show, 4/27/2022, timestamp: 5:00-6:10.
⁴Montgomery County Republican Party site: https://www.mcgop.com/_united_against_racism_in_education_meeting 
⁾Tweet from Delegate Vaughn Stewart: https://twitter.com/DelegateStewart/status/1546525695635062786 
⁜Southern Poverty Legal Center: https://www.splcenter.org/states/maryland 
⁷“A New Dawn” MoCo School Board Candidates. The Larry O’Connor Show, 4/27/2022, timestamp: 12:40 to end.
⁸Urgency of Normal responds to recently released CDC recommendations for COVID19 mitigation in schools. 6/21/2022.
⁹Metro DC PFLAG Montgomery County District 1 BOE Candidate Questionnaire Answers. David Fishback’s Blog, 5/7/2022.
š⁰Screenshot of Twitter exchange with Esther Wells: https://twitter.com/RebekahWriter/status/1568677678928232449 
¹¹Esther Wells’ campaign website:  https://voteforesther.com/about-esther
¹²Inter-Denominational Church of God’s Values & Beliefs webpage: https://icog.org/values-beliefs 
š³Clean Slate MoCo and Moderately MoCo endorsements: https://cleanslatemoco.com/resources/, 
   https://moderatelymoco.com/last-day-to-vote-in-the-2022-montgomery-county-primary-election/
This message has been authorized and paid for by Progressive Maryland Liberation Alliance PAC, Christianne Bharath, Treasurer.
This message has not been authorized or approved by any candidate or ballot issue committee.