18-04-2025
Franklin County Democrats endorse 3 in crowded Columbus City school board race
The Franklin County Democratic Party has endorsed three candidates in the crowded race for the Columbus City Schools Board of Education.
Ten candidates, all Democrats, are running in a nonpartisan primary on May 6. Despite a handful of Democrats speaking up at the party's April 17 meeting against endorsing any of the candidates, the majority voted to endorse candidates selected by the local party's screening committee. The final vote was 92 to endorse, with nine opposed and 10 abstentions.
The party endorsed Jermaine Kennedy, Patrick Katzenmeyer and Antoinette Miranda.
Jermaine Kennedy is a CCS parent and the chief program officer at Boys & Girls Club of Central Ohio. Patrick Katzenmeyer is a CCS parent and a senior project manager at The Pizzuti Companies. Antoinette Miranda is a professor and director of the school psychology program at Ohio State University and a former member of the State Board of Education who represented part of central Ohio.
Will Petrik, a county Democratic committee member, introduced a motion not to endorse anyone, saying the Democrats need to rebuild trust with Columbus voters. The motion failed by an 82-32 vote.
Eric S. Brown, a former CCS Board member from 2016 to 2023 and a former Ohio Supreme Court Justice, spoke in favor of Petrik's motion.
"This is one where we can and should trust the voters," Brown said.
Franklin County Democratic Party Chairman Mike Sexton told the members in attendance that the party decides to endorse in races on a case-by-case basis. For example, in the Columbus City Council District 7 race, the party decided not to screen the three candidates — Tiara Ross, Jesse Vogel and Kate Curry-Da-Souza — for possible endorsement.
"With 10 candidates in the (CCS school board) race, we thought that we should provide guidance on where the party stood," Sexton said.
Gretchen James, chair of the screening committee, said the committee did discuss not endorsing, but wanted to avoid voter confusion.
More: What's on the primary ballot in your central Ohio county? Here's the rundown
Leaders from two unions, the Central Ohio Labor Council and the local Ohio Association of Public School Employees, spoke at the meeting and said their unions also screened the ten candidates and came to the same conclusion to endorse Kennedy, Katzenmeyer and Miranda.
On May 6, voters will get to cast their ballots for three candidates for the school board. The top six vote-getters proceed to the November general election and compete for three open spots on the board.
The other candidates in the race are:
Liz Caslin-Turner, senior program manager for post-secondary career and technical education for the Ohio Department of Higher Education
Teresa Hannah, founder and family-school liaison consultant with STEPP Forward LLC
Janeece Keyes‐Shanklin, program manager with the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation
Karrie Lumpkin, administrative professional/claims specialist with the Ohio Attorney General's Office
Mounir F. Lynch, health educator and community activist working as the community engagement specialist at AndHealth.
Kimberley Mason, higher education partnership manager with the Ohio Bankers League
Julie Trabold, nurse, educator, and former member of the Central Ohio Care Planning Council
More reporting on the race Columbus City school board candidates at forum say they want to defend DEI initiatives
Government and Politics Reporter Jordan Laird can be reached at jlaird@ Follow her on X, Instagram and Bluesky at @LairdWrites.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Franklin County Democrats endorse 3 in CCS school board election
