A Republican businessman has thrown his hat into the ring to challenge a recently elected member of the Texas State Board of Education.

Aaron Kinsey, a businessman from Midland, has announced his candidacy to challenge District 15 SBOE member Jay Johnson in the 2022 primary for his seat. Kinsey’s campaign announcement says he is a businessman, a graduate of Texas A&M University and Harvard Business School, and a veteran of the U.S. Air Force credited with flying more than 120 combat missions.

Among the issues Kinsey is addressing in his campaign are critical race theory and concerns about curriculum standards in Texas public schools.

Kinsey is challenging Johnson, a dentist from Pampa, in the upcoming primary election. Johnson was elected to the position in an unopposed primary in 2020 and handily defeated his Democrat opponent in that year’s general election.

District 15 of the SBOE includes most of the Panhandle, West Texas, the South Plains, and portions of North Texas. Population hubs in the district include Amarillo, Lubbock, Midland, Odessa, Abilene, Wichita Falls, and San Angelo.

Candidates have until Monday, December 13 to file for the ballot. The primary election day is scheduled for March 1, 2022.

Thomas Warren

Thomas Warren, III is the editor-in-chief of the Amarillo Pioneer newspaper in Amarillo, Texas.

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