HELP SUPPORT INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM BY BECOMING A SUBSCRIBING MEMBER. YOU CAN ALSO MAKE A ONE TIME DONATION HERE.
ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. — Despite major wins for Republicans across the board on November 6th, Conservatives in St. Joseph County went against the establishment GOP’s picks for the Penn Harris Madison School Board earlier this month. While the St. Joseph County GOP chose to back a slate of three candidates in the nonpartisan election, all of the candidates running were registered Republicans.
In a stunning blow to Ashley Leader and her “conservative” parent group known as “Strengthen Our Schools” — Leader’s slate of candidates were soundly defeated by current PHM School Board President Chris Riley-backed contenders, leaving Leader’s choices — Jim Garrett, Doug Chaffee, and Art Klinger — in the dust. This outcome not only speaks volumes about the voters’ preferences but also highlights the frustration many conservatives feel toward Leader’s divisive tactics and questionable choices.
Ashley Leader, who operates on Facebook as “Ashley Silcox,” has made a name for herself within the local Republican Party, but not for the reasons one might hope. Known for her cutthroat campaigning and willingness to employ dirty tactics, Leader has repeatedly engaged in smear campaigns against conservatives who don’t align with her ambitions. While claiming to uphold Christian values, her actions have often been more about personal vendettas than policy or principle. Many in the party have had enough.
The school board race is the latest in a string of failures for Leader, whose candidates were overshadowed by their association with Leader-backed PHM School Board candidate Doug Chaffee. Chaffee’s erratic behavior, including unprovoked attacks on young mothers and unpredictable outbursts, became a liability that sunk the entire Leader-backed ticket. (It’s important to note, Chaffee was also fired from his job as principal of Penn High School for sleeping with his secretary). Leader’s choice to champion such a divisive figure reflects a pattern of poor judgment. Rather than promoting unity or the strength of conservative values, Leader has repeatedly turned to tactics that divide and harm the very community she claims to support. In a normal election cycle, Art Klinger and James Garrett would have won their races. Simply put, their association with Chaffee via Leader cost them their respective seats on the PHM School Board.
This isn’t the first time Leader’s approach has been detrimental to the party. In a baffling move, she actively undermined conservative commissioner Tony Hazen by backing Amanda Mitchell, a libertarian candidate. Leader’s attempt to split the Republican vote in favor of Mitchell was a calculated effort to help Democrat Joe Carbone, a move many see as both disloyal and misguided.
Leader’s behavior has alienated more than just local conservatives; it seems voters are equally disenchanted with her.
Conservative PHM School Board Candidates Katie Bell, Ryan McCullough and Gary Fox also ran as a loosely affiliated ticket. Despite being smeared by Leader and her followers as “liberal”, voters who turned out to vote for Trump overwhelmingly cast their ballots for the trio, leading to their victories.
Want to keep seeing the news the legacy media just won’t report? REAL News Michiana relies on member subscribers to keep going. As a subscriber, you’ll get an RNM mug and invites to special events. Help us continue to expose corruption and report on the news conservatives care about by subscribing here.
