The Christian jihadists have solidified their control of the State Board of Education, led by their financial leader, San Antonio millionaire James Leininger. Conservative incumbent Dan Montgomery just wasn’t conservative enough for District 5, which comprises southern Travis Co., northern San Antonio, a good chunk of the Hill Country, and most of Bell Co. Former legislator Ken Mercer, aided by a $25,000 Leininger contribution, blew Montgomery out with 61% of the vote.

“Dr. Leininger bought the State Board of Education back in the Nineties and now he’s doing it again,” Montgomery told the San Antonio Express-News. “I took the lead in helping to clean up the Permanent School Fund and these people don’t like me for it. All this talk of who’s conservative enough is just a smokescreen. It’s all about getting control of that money.”

As has become too typical of SBOE races, no Democrat filed to run for District 5; Mercer will face Libertarian Bill Oliver of Temple in the fall.

This article appears in April 14 • 2006.

A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.

SUPPORT US