Controversial Pinney loses Dist. 214 board seat

After four controversial years on the District 214 school board, Leslie Pinney lost her seat to a political newcomer on Tuesday.

With 218 of 218 precincts reporting, unofficial totals showed James Perkins had 16,301 votes, newcomer Mark Hineman had 14,715 votes, Mimi Cooper-Spickard had 14,618 votes and Lenore Gonzales Bragaw had 14,471 votes. Pinney came in last with 14,065 votes.

"I gave the community a choice, they decided and that's fine," Pinney said. "I'm just amazed more people weren't worried about the district's finances. I don't know - maybe the voters were confused and thought Hineman was an incumbent."

In early March, Cooper-Spickard, Bragaw and Perkins said they backed Hineman and not Pinney.

Bragaw, currently board president, said she was ecstatic about the results.

"Having a dissenting voice on the board is not a had thing, but there were some unnecessary media sideshows and distractions," Bragaw said. "That took away from what we were trying to do. I give voters credit. They got it."

In 2006, Pinney made headlines for wanting to pull nine books from the high school district's required reading list because of content she considered sexually graphic, vulgar and violent. The board eventually voted 6-1, with Pinney dissenting, to keep the books on reading lists.