UPPER SAUCON TWP., Pa. — One of the "true Republicans" in the Southern Lehigh school board race has dropped out after winning a spot on the ballot in the primary election.
Maria Schantz lives in Lower Milford Township and has a master’s degree in nursing and a doctoral degree in Spanish. She taught at DeSales and Moravian universities before retiring in 2013. She did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
- Southern Lehigh Republican school board candidate Maria Schantz dropped out of the school board race
- She was one of the Republican candidates that signed onto a controversial pledge about banning trans students from using the bathroom of their choice and reviewing curriculum for "wokeness"
- Local Republican leaders did not respond to requests for comment on replacing her on the ballot
Shantz got 1,814 votes on the Republican ticket in the primary, with the majority coming on Election Day.
The GOP can replace Schantz with another candidate by filing a certificate with the Lehigh County Election Office.
Timothy Benyo, chief clerk of Registrations and Elections with the Lehigh County Election Office
Timothy Benyo, chief clerk of registrations and elections with the Lehigh County Election Office said the GOP can replace Schantz with another candidate by filing a certificate with his office. Southern Lehigh Republican Chair Doug Durham and Lehigh County Republican Committee Chair Joe Vichot did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
There are five positions on the nine-seat board on the ballot in November. School board directors serve unpaid four-year terms. Five Republican candidates, who called themselves the "true Republicans" in the primary, signed a pledge to ban transgender students from using the bathroom of their choice and review school curriculum for "wokeness."
Four of those candidates are still running as Republicans in the November general election. A slate of more moderate Republicans and the lone Democratic candidate, Melissa Torba, are running as Democrats.