TALLAHASSEE— Leon County School Board member Alva Striplin said even though she recently changed her party affiliation from Republican to Democrat, nothing else has really changed.
Striplin was first elected in 2014 when she was a registered Republican. She defeated Forest VanCamp, who was also a registered Republican.
As she launches her re-election campaign to represent District 1, Striplin said she is still “very fiscally conservative” and her priorities are still limiting wasteful spending and increasing teacher pay.
“I decided to change parties after the presidential election,” she said “ I am not a Trump supporter. I think he is offensive to women, so when I needed to change my address recently, I just changed my party affiliation at the same time.”
She said her change in party had absolutely nothing to do with her opponent in the 2018 election, Richard Bell, and pointed out the board seat is non-partisan.
In her district, which runs east of Thomasville Road to I-10, to the county line and then downtown to roughly Duval Street, the number of registered Democrats outnumbers Republicans by about 49 percent to 34 percent, with those with no party affiliation making up the other 17 percent.
Striplin’s party change adds to the Democrats domination of local elected positions on the Board of Leon County Commissioners, the City Commission, and the School Board. Of the 17 elected positions, only one is a Republican -Bryan Delsoge of the Leon County Commission.
While Democrats make-up 94% of the elected officials, information from the Leon Count Supervisor of Elections shows that Democrats make up 52.7% of registered voters. Republicans come in at 27.8% and “Others” constitute 19.4% of the electorate.
Next thing we hear, she will change her name to Mx Striplin. She should lose her position. She duped tbe voters.
Duped again by a RINO just to get my vote this past election. Never again Ms. Striplin...I'm done with you!
We elect school board members based on a lot of factors, among them being the candidate's party affiliation. Republican candidates have a very different philosophy regarding the education of our children than do Democrats. I believed Mrs. Striplin shared those standards with me. I believed she was a strong advocate for superior education and social issues compatible with mine.
Now, I realize she is not any different than most other elected officials. Her first priority is to get reelected, not to be a champion for the standards I thought she believed in. Mrs Striplin has lost my vote and of many others in her district. She may get reelected by the democratic majority in her district, but at a great cost to her credibility and the quality of her character.
^^^^ Ditto - well said.
If she really does agree with you about education philosophy, how can she help if she loses her position? I don't know a thing about her really, but don't give up on your gal because she's looking ahead. Perhaps the Trump dislike is what's really eating at you? If so, that's okay, but you make it sound like you are worried she will do something detrimental to Leon County Schools because she disagrees with your president's views on women. That doesn't really make a whole lot of sense. To me.
I'm really disappointed in her decision & remarks about the President. As a representative of the school board I'd hoped there was more brains in that head.
I wonder what percentage of democrats are on anti-depressants.
Welcome aboard but the first lesson she needs to learn as a democrat... Democrats build bridges not WALLS!
Everything is Trump's fault. If a Democrat did this during Obama's early presidency, they would be branded a racist. Remember these double standards.
Well Ms. Stiplin, you just lost my vote. And not because of the change, but because of stating you don't support my President. Excuse me, OUR President.
So you done the math and realized not having a D after your name would probably make for a very short political career in Leon County.
So Ms Striplin...If it was your true fiscal conservative and anti wasteful spending beliefs that made you first register as a Republican, how long will you be able to sleep through the night after you are forced to cave on these values by the Democratic leadership?
You are aware that calling a fiscal conservative a Democrat is an oxymoron?
Disagree. I am a democrat voter, but extremely fiscally conservative. I won't be placed in a single box. I don't disagree with pumping money out to the people, I just disagree with how we pump it out. We keep irresponsibly dumping money into failed ideas. I'm an advocate for boarding schools for this reason. I'm okay with helping the poor and disadvantaged, for whatever reason, but I'm not okay with our current system of entitlements. We pay for whole lifestyles, why not spend that money in an environment we approve of? I've been called a communist for this idea, but I guess I'm stupid. I don't see how that's communist.
I can see dropping the R, but why register as a democrat? Something wrong with being independent?
Not enough votes that way.
I know Ms. Striplin on a social basis. She is pleasant, and interesting to converse with. She seems sweet and sincere. Perhaps she is a really good politician, but I like her.
She turned me off when she asked me to sign a petition for Alan Williams so that he would not have to pay a qualifying fee to run for Supervisor of Elections. Regardless of party, if you ask me to sign something to benefit an ethically challenged Alan Williams, we have a problem.
I was a democrat once when I was young and stupid #clinton black lives matter etc. fixed that
hahahaha has nothing to with her opponent....mmmk!
As she launches her re-election campaign to represent District 1, Striplin said she is still “very fiscally conservative” and her priorities are still limiting wasteful spending and increasing teacher pay.
“I decided to change parties after the presidential election,” she said “ I am not a Trump supporter. I think he is offensive to women, so when I needed to change my address recently, I just changed my party affiliation at the same time.”
Paragraph one says she believes that Democrats are not this.
Paragraph two says she has forgotten about Bill Clinton and Anthony Weiner,