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NEW ULM - The seven candidate District 88 School Board race came to close with incumbents Steve Gag, Amanda Groebner and Melissa Sunderman winning re-election.
District 88 voters were asked to select three candidates to fill the three school board seats up for election. The top three vote totals went to Gag with 5,018 votes. Groebner was second with 4,201 votes and Sunderman with 4,007 votes.
The closest challenger as of deadline was Michael Thom with 2,971 votes. Gigi Rysdahl had 2,696 votes; Jo-Ell Flitter received 2,552 votes and Nicholas Thiel had 2,455 votes.
This school board election drew more interest than any previous school board elections in recent memory.
Equity, inclusion and diversity were the top issues, dividing the candidates with the incumbents Gag, Sunderman and Groebner in support of these philosophies as a strategic plan for the district, and the challengers Jo-Ell Flitter, Michael Thom, Nicholas Thiel and Gig Rysdahl all opposed them to varying degrees.
In addition to the school board election, District 88 referendum is expected to pass with nearly 60% voting "yes." The yes vote will allow the district to reauthorize the operating levy for the school.