The efforts gained steam last year amid parents' frustrations with COVID-19 pandemic policies, but as those issues fade, they're now galvanizing around cultural divisions.
On election night, ABC7 News will bring you local, state and national news updates on our live stream from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Bookmark this page to watch in the video player above, on our mobile apps, or download the ABC7 Bay Area App to watch on Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple and Android TV.
That movement can be seen right here in the San Francisco Bay Area, where several anti-LGBTQ, anti-vaccine conservative candidates are running for small, down-ballot school board races.
North Bay
Anti-LGBTQ rhetoric makes it into Bay Area school board elections
There are at least two candidates running for Marin County school board positions who have become a part of this national movement to scale back teachings on sexuality and push back on vaccine mandates.
Tief Gibbs Jensen is a candidate running for school board in the Novato Unified trustee District 4. She's a mom of two recent Novato graduates and a local business owner.
Faye Bourret, a San Rafael School Board candidate, is running for office for the first time. She says she wants to focus on learning loss during the pandemic and leaving vaccination decision up to parents.
Read the full story, here.
South Bay
Anti-CRT culture war plays out in Bay Area school board races
After actively recruiting last year, the president of a Republican women's group has anti-critical race theory candidates running in 10 different school board races across the South Bay.
One of them is Ingrid Campos, who's running in the Palo Alto Unified School District. She's one of 16 candidates backed by the Silicon Valley Association of Republican Women.
Many of the candidates running are parents. For all of them, it's their first time ever running for office.
Read the full story, here.
App users: For a better experience, click here to view the full map in a new window
Stay with ABC7 News for the latest election news here.
LATEST STORIES & VIDEOS:
- CA proposition guide: From abortions to electric vehicles, here's what to know
- List of races to watch around San Francisco Bay Area, state
- Find out how many ballots have been returned in California by county
- Republican, anti-vaccine candidates target school board races across Bay Area
- What to expect on election night, when we'll know results
- Oakland ballot Measure R to use gender-inclusive, neutral language within city charter
- Why election results may not be known right away
- Newsom, Dahle talk CA future in only governor's race
- Here are the 2 Alameda County DA candidates' stances on top issues
- Jonsen or Jensen: Who will be Santa Clara County's new sheriff?
- Chavez or Mahan: How SJ mayoral candidates plan to take action
- 'Nail-biter': Here are the California congressional races to watch on Tuesday
- Why a $250 donation from a right-wing activist has riled up an East Bay school board race
- Anti-critical race theory culture war plays out in South Bay school board races
- How anti-vaccine, anti-LGBTQ rhetoric made its way into Marin Co. school board elections
- Are San Francisco voters moving to the center? New poll suggests they could be