Utah News Dispatch
Embattled state school board member Natalie Cline loses reelection
Utah Board of Education member Natalie Cline talks with supporters while waiting for results at the Salt Lake County Republican Party’s nominating convention at Cottonwood High School in Murray on April 13, 2024. (Katie McKellar/Utah News Dispatch)
The Salt Lake County Republican Party overwhelmingly rejected embattled Utah Board of Education member Natalie Cline on Saturday, instead granting the GOP nomination to Cline’s challenger Amanda Bollinger.
Only 123 delegates voted for Cline, handing her just 36.83% of the vote — short of the 40% Cline needed to secure her place on the June primary ballot, according to the Salt Lake County GOP’s results. Bollinger won 211 delegates, or 63.17% of the vote, granting her the Salt Lake County GOP’s nomination and guaranteeing her spot in the November general election for the State School Board District 9 seat.
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Even without the party’s nomination, Bollinger had already secured her place in a primary by gathering 1,924 signatures, over the 1,715 required. Cline did not gather signatures, relying entirely on delegate support.
Bollinger now heads straight to the November election, where she’ll compete against Democratic candidate Will Shiflett. The State School Board District 9 seat represents areas that span southern Salt Lake County, including parts of Bluffdale, Herriman, Riverton and South Jordan.
Cline’s sound rejection signaled a strong majority of the Salt Lake County Republican Party was ready for a new face on the state school board — and that they had grown tired of a candidate whose extreme, ultra-conservative views had for years stirred controversy.
Results for Amanda Bolinger’s win #utpol pic.twitter.com/ocEQoGUAb2
— Katie McKellar (@KatieMcKellar1) April 13, 2024
Cline controversy
Contention around Cline crescendoed in recent months. She faced swift and far-reaching public outrage in February after she posted a photo on Facebook of a female high school basketball player, incorrectly suggesting the girl was transgender.
The post prompted a barrage of hateful comments, in which some of Cline’s followers criticized the player and her appearance, named her and her school, threatened her and referred to her with vulgar language. It also prompted security and safety concerns around the student and her school.
Cline eventually deleted the post, replacing it with a lengthy comment in which she gave her “deepest apologies” to the student and her family. But she also said her original post “never claimed the student was a boy,” while commenting on the girl’s body.
Utah Legislature votes to censure embattled school board member Natalie Cline — not impeach
In following days, Cline faced a tsunami of calls for her resignation — from Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson; the Granite School District Board of Education, where the girl attends school; individual city councils; and the girl’s parents. Talks of possible impeachment soon hit Utah Capitol Hill, especially among Democrats. But ultimately the Utah Legislature voted to censure — not impeach — Cline, with Republican legislative leaders saying they wanted to let voters decide Cline’s fate if she wouldn’t step down.
On Saturday, Salt Lake County Republican delegates made that decision.
Reaction to Cline’s loss
Shortly before the Salt Lake County Republican Party posted the results of the state school board race on its website Saturday afternoon, both Cline and Bollinger sat in the Cottonwood High School auditorium with their supporters. Both women’s campaigns were monitoring the party’s paper ballot counting.
Minutes before the results were announced, both campaigns got an early look at Bollinger’s sizable lead, and Bollinger’s supporters let out hushed cheer from where they sat several rows behind Cline.
While Bollinger and her inner circle quietly celebrated — Bollinger urging them to contain their excitement until the results were officially announced — Cline and two of her supporters immediately rose from their seats and strode swiftly out of the auditorium.
Utah Board of Education candidate Amanda Bollinger celebrates with supporters after winning the nomination at the Salt Lake County Republican Party’s convention at Cottonwood High School in Murray on April 13, 2024. (Katie McKellar/Utah News Dispatch)
After results were announced, Bollinger said during a scrum with reporters that she was grateful for delegates’ support and that they were “willing to trust me, to help put the trust of public education back into our system.”
Bollinger also said her decisive victory showed Salt Lake County Republicans draw the line when it comes to bullying children.
“Parents and our delegates are making a statement that our goal is to protect our children, and that we want to make sure that they are safe in schools,” Bollinger said.
When pressed about how much of a role Cline’s controversial post played in delegates’ decision, Bollinger said she did not specifically campaign around Cline’s post — but rather that she would prioritize “what is best for kids” if she were elected to the state school board.
“It’s hard to know, because I didn’t have a lot of conversations with delegates about that specifically,” Bollinger said of Cline’s post. “It definitely could have played a role. But I ran my race to just focus on what is best for kids and the impact that I feel like I can make as an education leader.”
Cline did not address reporters after the vote. As of 8 p.m. Saturday she had not posted about her loss on her Facebook page.
During her two-minute speech to delegates, Cline accused Utah’s education system of teaching “divisive ideologies.”
“(They) try to transform their attitudes, values and beliefs, behaviors and dispositions to be in line with the state’s definition … turning our children into activists, encouraging them to advocate for social change within the school and outside of the school,” Cline said. “This is not OK. This is not academic excellence. This is indoctrination. And it needs to stop.”
Cline did not address her controversial post, but vaguely asked delegates to allow her to continue to “fight and be that voice despite the arrows that come my way.”
During her speech, Bollinger promised to be a candidate who will “solve real problems with real solutions.” She also did not directly address Cline’s post, but alluded to it.
“Our children’s safety is non-negotiable. The safety of one group of children should not be based on creating dangerous and unsafe spaces for other students,” Bollinger said, to cheers. She promised to “prioritize and protect parental involvement, recognizing it as a cornerstone of student success.”
Bollinger also challenged Cline’s blanket characterizations of Utah’s school system.
“Let me be clear. I refuse to tolerate baseless and unjust accusations that all educators are the problem,” Bollinger said, garnering more cheers. “Yes, teachers do need to be held accountable for keeping neutral classrooms so our students can learn safely. But it is reckless and harmful to assume that all educators and all education programs are the problem.”
Though Republican party conventions can often empower hard-right candidates, Cline’s resounding defeat signaled that the delegates who voted in the state school board race weren’t interested in an extreme candidate.
“A lot of our silent majority came out,” Bollinger told reporters, especially those passionate about Utah’s education system. “They haven’t been as involved, and now they need to know they need to come and have a voice to make sure their values are represented.”
Saturday’s results show Salt Lake County Republicans want to ensure “we are focusing on our core values and that we are doing it in a respectful way, and we can collaborate together and work together,” Bollinger said. “Working together is what’s going to make the difference, and I truly believe that. I think our party is making that statement as well.”
Trish Bytheway, a delegate from South Jordan who voted in favor of Cline, told Utah News Dispatch she was disappointed in Cline’s loss. She said Cline faced unfair “bias” and backlash for something that she believed was a mistake.
“I’m disappointed that most people don’t know what she stands for and who she is,” Bytheway said, arguing Cline has “pure motives just to do good for children” and parents.
Utah Board of Education member Natalie Cline waits as delegates vote during the Salt Lake County Republican Party’s nominating convention at Cottonwood High School on April 13, 2024. (Katie McKellar/Utah News Dispatch)
Bytheway said it was “completely inappropriate” for the governor and lieutenant governor to condemn Cline and support Bollinger, and that the full Utah Legislature “fell in line” when they censured Cline. She said the intent of Cline’s post was to have a “conversation.”
“We can’t even talk about the transgender issue,” Bytheway said. “Not even that, we can’t even talk about how boys and girls sports are affecting girls. We can’t even bring it up because when we do it’s shut down and you’re called a bigot.”
Tamara Zander, a delegate who is also a South Jordan City Council member, said she spent a lot of time grappling with whether to vote for Cline or Bollinger, but ultimately decided to side with Bollinger, even though she said that decision may upset some of her neighbors.
Zander said she spoke with both Cline and Bollinger as she weighed the race, not wanting to jump to conclusions about Cline’s post. While she said some liked Cline as a “bulldog” and a “fighter,” Zander said she believed a collaborative style would be more effective on the state school board.
“(Bollinger) has a strong enough personality that she’ll be able to go in there and work on behalf of the children, but I think she’ll also have the peace of being able to collaborate better,” Zander said. “That’s why I went with her.”
2024 Salt Lake County GOP nominating convention results
The Cline vs. Bollinger contest was the highest interest race that was decided Saturday. In total, 1,365 credentialed delegates participated in the Salt Lake County GOP convention, weighing in on several other races, including nominations for county mayor, county council, and several legislative races.
Here are the results from Saturday’s convention:
Salt Lake County mayor: Erin Rider overwhelmingly won the Republican nomination, with 77.37% of the vote to Yianni Ioannou’s 22.63%. Rider will face current Democratic Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson in the November election.
Salt Lake County Council at-large seat C: Rachelle Morris led with just shy of 58% of the vote to Michael Carey’s 42%. Both candidates will advance to the June primary.
County Council District 2: Current Sen. Daniel Thatcher, R-West Valley City, (who is leaving his legislative seat to run for County Council) lost to Carlos Moreno, who won the party nomination with over 70% of the vote to Thatcher’s 29.63%. Moreno will face Democrat Katie Olson in November.
County surveyor: Bradley Park led with nearly 55% of the vote to Bruce Williams’ 45%. Both candidates will advance to the June primary.
State School Board District 7: Kris Kimball won the party nomination with 65.54% of the vote to Molly Hart’s 34.46%. However, both candidates will advance to the June primary, since Hart gathered enough signatures to qualify for the primary ballot.
State School Board District 9: Amanda Bollinger won with 63.17% of the vote to Natalie Cline’s 36.83%. Bollinger will face Democratic candidate Will Shiflett in the November election.
House District 21: David Atkin led with 56.25% of the vote to Taylor Bunot’s 43.75%. Both will advance to the primary.
House District 25: Richard Nowak won with 86.67% of the vote to Alama ‘Ulu’ave’s 13.33%. Nowak will face the incumbent Democrat, House Minority Leader Angela Romero, in the November election.
House District 30: Former Rep. Fred Cox won the nomination with 66.67% of the vote to David Parke’s 33.33%. Cindy Thompson was eliminated in the first round of voting. Parke, however, gathered enough signatures to qualify, so Cox and Parke will face off again during the June primary.
House District 39: Ken Ivory won with 76% of the vote to Lisa Dean’s 24%. Dean gathered enough signatures to qualify, however, so she and Ivory will face off again in the June primary.
House District 42: Clint Okerlund led with 55.56% of the vote to Chad Westover’s 44.44%. Dale Ash and Michael Marker were eliminated from the convention in the first round of voting. Both Westover and Okerlund will move on to the June primary, where they’ll again face Marker, who gathered enough signatures to qualify.
House District 45: Tracy Miller led with 53.85% of the vote to Rich Cunningham’s 46.15%. Steven Roberts was eliminated from the convention during the first round of voting. Both Cunningham and Miller will advance to the June primary.
House District 46: Sitting Rep. Jeff Stenquist, R-Draper, got only 12.5% of the vote to his opponent, Cal Roberts’ 87.5%. Roberts won the nomination, but Stenquist gathered signatures to qualify for the primary, so both candidates will face off again in June.
House District 48: Doug Fiefia won with 83.33% of the vote to Goud Maragani’s 16.67%. Fiefia will face Democrat Stephen Middleton in November.
House District 49: Rep. Candice Pierucci, R-Herriman, won with nearly 92% of the vote to Scott Hatfield Jr.’s 8.11%. Pierucci will face Democrat Samuel Winkler in November.
Senate District 15: Scott Cuthbertson led with 59.62% of the vote to Steve Aste’s 40.38%. Amber Shill was eliminated from the convention in the first round of voting. All three candidates, however, will advance to the June primary, since Shill gathered enough signatures to qualify.
Senate District 16: Sen. Wayne Harper, R-Taylorsville, with 46.15% of the vote, trailed Christina Boggess, who got 53.85%. Jonathan Fidler was eliminated in the first round of voting. Both Harper and Boggess will advance to the June primary.
Senate District 17: Sen. Lincoln Fillmore, R-South Jordan, won the nomination with 65.17% of the vote to Janalee Tobias’ 34.83%. Fillmore will face unaffiliated candidate Pamela Bloom in November.
The post Embattled state school board member Natalie Cline loses reelection appeared first on Utah News Dispatch.
Read Article at Utah News Dispatch
