Right-wing activists define Salem-Keizer School Board race early
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Right-wing activists define Salem-Keizer School Board race early
One candidate appears to be working with names familiar from Newberg schools turmoil. Another earns support from J6'er.
It’s no secret that conservative groups are laser focused on Spring school board elections across the country. After their highly-anticipated “red wave” fell short in November 2022 midterm elections, they aim to make significant gains on local levels.
And Salem-Keizer is no exception.
Two candidates officially filed to run for two of the open seats in Salem-Keizer:
Satya Chandragiri: seeking re-election to his SKSD Zone #4 seat
Casity Troutt: anti-transgender, book banning activist seeking to replace departing Zone #2 board member Marty Heyen.
Both Chandragiri & Troutt are leaning on right-wing extremists to power their campaigns
Based on publicly available campaign finance, it appears as if both Chandragiri and Troutt are working with Intisar Strategies - a right-wing political consulting & marketing firm that has worked for everyone from the Keizer Quitter Bill Post to Swingin’ Stan Pulliam, the toothiest Mayor in all of the Portland swingers clubs.
It’s not the first time Chandragiri has paid Intisar for political work. Intisar Strategies is essentially one guy. He’s a former Oregon Right to Lifer. He actually hired Bill Post to work for him in the last election cycle…which is, honestly, the reddest of all the red flags.
Here’s a good history Intisar, from Eddy Binford-Ross for the Clypian:
From current campaign finance records, both Chandragiri and Troutt have an “Accounts Payable” line item with Intisar as the recipient - each from early January 2023 and each for more than $2,000.
Intisar’s other recent clients include:
Oregon Right to Life (a group that, for some reason, is intensely interested in school boards)
Kevin Mannix (who recently embarrassed himself by suggesting nepotism rules discriminate against family members)
Kim Thatcher (who put her name on a letter pushing the Big Lie about election integrity)
Oregon Moms Union (lead by Swingin’ Stan Pulliam’s wife, and powered by cash from groups that oppose labor unions)
Oregon Republican Party
Campaign finance records show Intisar Strategies as the go-to political shop for some of the worst characters to run for, or hold, office.
Troutt also has connections to those currently demolishing Newberg schools
In 2022, Troutt established a political advocacy group titled “Salem-Keizer Education First” to help raise funds for the three failed recall campaigns she launched against current school board members.
During the failed recall, campaign finance records show Troutt spent money with Raven Scroll Media - a communications & consulting group in Newberg, OR. That business is registered with the state to Isaac Etherington - the same person accused of racism in this article - who is the spouse of a different agency currently working with Newberg School Board (Bridge & Bolster, LLC.).
Troutt’s group also took nearly $1k from Community Oriented Public Servants PAC - a Newberg-based group that is currently under state investigation for allegations of mishandling campaign finances.
Newberg Schools have been suffering for months under the leadership of an ultra-conservative board. Multitudes of experienced administrators, including former district Superintendent Joe Morelock, were either forced out or quit as the highly-politicized board began decimating the district.
Most recently, Newberg School District was forced to retreat on its regressive ideology and rescind a policy banning Pride or Black Lives Matter flags or symbols in schools. With their failed ideological maneuver, the Newberg board will require taxpayers to foot extensive legal bills for both sides in the resulting litigation.
So anyway…that’s who Troutt runs with.
Both Chandragiri and Troutt have a fan in a J6’er (who doesn’t even go here).
Of course a political candidate can’t control who supports them. But there is something to be learned from the types of people who support a candidate.
So what does that have to do with someone named Josie Jepson Alexander from Lake Oswego? Welp…she was photographed at the January 6th insurrection in Washington D.C. with her sister under the caption “We (are) going to DC…Trump told us to come!”
Oh, and she seems to support both Chandragiri and Troutt.
So while simply receiving praise from a J6’er is no indication of support for someone who attends an insurrection at the behest of a failed dictator…it is kinda weird that Troutt reacted to Alexander’s support with a “heart.” A little.
Rumors of other candidates joining the race for any of the three open seats
Well, they’re just rumors. So we’ll ignore them for now. But there are some rumblings about who will oppose these two right-wing candidates. We’'ll follow up, of course.