Analysis of the 2015 General Election for Reading School Director

           Although I was not successful in the General Election for one of the five seats for a four-year term for Reading School Director, I would like to thank the nearly 2,300 people who voted for me and all those who supported my candidacy in any way.

            Now that all the votes have been counted, I can analyze the results.  I was pleased that I received more votes this time than I did in the 2009 or 2011 General Elections.  I was among the top five for the five seats on the ballot in five precincts, including most of the largest ones, which includes my own, and tied for fifth place another large one.  I was within the top five overall in the 17^th Ward, which is the largest ward and is also my own ward.  I am especially proud that I was most successful in those neighborhoods where I was most known or had campaigned the most intensely.

            Despite a Democratic voter registration advantage over Republicans of 5:1 and despite a relatively large Democratic turnout for the mayoral race and despite being heavily outspent with money that came from outside the Reading School District, the ratio of the vote totals for the candidates who were elected over mine was only 2:1.  Democrats were encouraged by their party to vote push the straight Democratic button in the voting machines or check the straight Democratic box on the paper ballots.  Unlike in the Democratic Primary, when voters were selective of individuals, most of the voters who voted for my opponents voted for all of them, which proves that most Democrats did, in fact, vote straight party.  In addition to Republicans, then, I must have won the votes of at least several hundred Democrats, as well as non-partisan and third-party voters. 

Indeed, I enjoyed tremendous bipartisan support throughout this year’s campaign, for which I am most grateful.  As I noted in my post from May of this year, Analysis of the 2015 Primary Election for Reading School Director, http://williamcinfici.blogspot.com/2015/05/2015-pennsylvania-primary-election-for.html, I came within 64 votes out of thousands cast of winning the Democratic nomination, while finishing in first place on the Republican ballot.  I have proven again that a conservative candidate who champions good, honest government and with a record of reform can appeal to a broad spectrum of voters even in an urban district.

            My campaign was not in vain.  In addition to helping to set the record straight about my previous service on the Reading School Board, I helped prevent the current Board from increasing taxes and educated the incumbent and incoming School Directors on their proper role. 

I shall be observing closely whether or not the new School Board begins to become more open and transparent, to do its job of following the law and Board policy, and to fulfill its fiduciary responsibility to the taxpayers.  

Again, thank you to everyone for your support.