Dupage Policy Journal

Wheaton Warrenville Unit School District 200 school board candidate David Sohmer is blasting the infusion of new cash in local school board races as a "new low" for democrats.

According to Illinois Review, with school board races across the state generating widespread attention, Gov. J.B. Pritzker recently donated $500,000 to the Democratic Party of Illinois in an effort that critics charge seeks to boost a liberal extremist agenda that promotes inappropriate sexual education curriculum and divisive concepts that stand to make race relations even more volatile. 

Many of the same school districts are now also teaching such subjects as critical race theory, which teaches about race superiority and that the United States is fundamentally a racist country, among other shortcomings. Often, it is titled “culturally, responsive teaching,” “social/restorative justice,” “equity/gender support plans” and “social-emotional learning.”

“So long as I’m governor, our state will be a bulwark of progress, equity, and justice," Pritzker wrote in a June 28, 2022, Twitter post. "We’re in a battle between an extremist GOP and a Democratic party that offers a future of strong leadership and possibility." 

During a recent press conference, Pritzker went on the attack, labeling Illinois-based conservative grassroots organizations that recruit and support local school board candidates’ “racists” and “anti-LGBTQ,” with local mom and conservative grassroots activist Shannon Adcock directly being on the receiving end of some of his most disparaging comments.

DuPage Policy Journal reached out to Sohmer for his opinion on how these outside donations and rhetoric have affected the race.

"This influx of Democratic Party cash into local community non-partisan school and library board races was a new low in Illinois politics. Just when you thought things could not go lower, the Governor somehow managed it," Sohmer told DuPage Policy Journal. "At the League of Woman, voter forum ALL school board candidates (registered Republican and Democrat) rejected the idea of the Governor meddling in local politics. Especially disheartening was the mean-spirited way that he did so. The Governor also made this a national issue by discussing this on Face the Nation, and trying to shame and intimidate mothers and fathers who are volunteering for unpaid positions on the school and library boards simply because he doesn’t agree with them."

Sohmer said that Pritzker's actions have negatively affected the political process in Illinois and will dissuade qualified candidates from running for office out of fear of the negative backlash. He went on to describe his own -+personal experience as a candidate.

"I am shocked at the amount of negativity, false narratives and propaganda that has been leveled at me and my slate-mates," Sohmer told DuPage Policy Journal. "I don’t believe something of this nature has happened in the history of CUSD200.  An anonymous hate site was created just for us and all of the narratives on that site are false." 

"For example, this hate site claims that private school people are largely who is supporting our slate. This could not be further from the truth. The vast majority of our funding is from CUSD200 public school parents and alum. The private school people who have donated to our campaign have done so because they are our friends and they believe in our cause. Many of them would like to send their students to our public schools but won’t because of the direction things have taken in our schools. They are also taxpayers and have every right to be a part of this campaign."

"One breath of fresh air for us as candidates was a response website called negatetheslate.org which points out in a logical, rational fashion the fallacies and downright dangerous actions of our opponents. The doxing and bullying, the lies, fabrications and false narratives and the blatantly anti-Christian rhetoric. I hope the people behind this site are held accountable in the public’s eyes so that this will never happen again."

Sohmer went on to describe his goals for the future regardless if he is elected to the school board or not.

"I am hopeful that if we win we can start CUSD200 down the right path and start to lay the groundwork for restoring academic excellence and integrity in our curriculum as well as ensuring that parents remain engaged and that the erosion of parental rights will be reversed," Sohmer said. "We also plan to fix the transparency problem that has plagued this board for nearly a decade or more. If we do not get elected then I believe it will be a very sad day for our community. I will continue to be actively involved in the community through sports teams, school and our local church. I also have three children at home and one grandson and one grandbaby on the way so I am not in danger of becoming bored. I do love our community and will continue to do everything I can to keep it the place that attracted such a wonderful, diverse set of people."