Moms for Liberty-backed candidates for CCSD break with the far-right group

Conservative candidates for CCSD school board are breaking ties with Moms for Liberty, a group that has turned public schools into culture war battlegrounds, called for book bans, harassed teachers and students, and even quoted Hitler in one of its newsletters.

The two candidates for Clark County School Board backed by Moms for Liberty have withdrawn their memberships from the local chapter, following a high-profile series of losses for candidates backed by the far-right group. 

Lydia Dominguez, who is running for District B, and Lorena Biassotti, running for District E, made their announcements through social media posts last week.

Moms for Liberty rose to prominence in 2021 and 2022 by turning school board meetings into culture war battlegrounds and challenging how race and racism, gender, and sexuality are taught in schools. The organization has called to ban books that discuss such topics from  school libraries and classrooms, harassed teachers and students, and was even forced to apologize after quoting Hitler in one of its newsletters. The group has been described as a far-right extremist organization by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

In an attempt to not just advocate in front of school boards, but take them over, the organization worked to elect school board candidates who shared their vision of “parental rights” in order to push their right-wing ideals from the inside. 

While school board positions are nonpartisan, candidates often make their values and beliefs front and center in order to gain the community’s support — including Biassotti and Dominguez who aligned with Moms for Liberty’s views and earned the group’s endorsements ahead of Nevada’s June primary elections. 

Biassotti also served as the vice chair of the Clark County Moms for Liberty chapter and is the founder of the conservative nonprofit My Children’s Advocate, which aims to “eradicate” social justice, LGBTQ+, and critical race theory from public schools, according to the nonprofit’s website.

While Moms for Liberty had some initial success in taking over school boards, the group’s momentum has stalled dramatically over the past year.

Among the 14 candidates the organization backed ahead of Florida’s school board primaries last month, only three won, six lost, and five are headed to November runoffs. Those losses follow similar failures of the group’s preferred candidates in 2023. According to the Brookings Institution, fewer than one-third of school board candidates backed by the organization in 2023 won their elections, including high profile losses in red and purple states like Iowa, Pennsylvania, Kansas, and Ohio.

In her announcement on social media, Biassotti said her decision to withdraw her membership from the Clark County chapter is one she made “with a clear conscience and unwavering resolve.”

“My mission to advocate for our children within the educational system remains as strong as ever — a mission that began three years ago and will continue with even greater determination,” her statement reads. “While I respect and support the work of Moms for Liberty, my path forward requires me to take this step. I sincerely wish the organization continued success in its efforts.”

Dominguez said in her announcement that her decision to withdraw her membership from the Clark County chapter, and therefore forfeit Moms for Liberty’s endorsement, was driven by a “commitment to maintaining high standards of leadership, transparency, and communication.” 

Dominguez also said that her campaign remains focused on “fighting for parental rights and improving education in Clark County.”