Former Jan. 6-Presence Doesn’t Deter Voter Support As Northvale Resident Secures School Board Seat in Northern Valley Region
In Bergen County, New Jersey, an Oath Keepers candidate gained a position on the Northern Valley Regional High School District board of education, highlighting changing voter priorities and triggering new education policy and political identity discussions. The freshly elected board member, 71, and Republican municipal party chairman in Northvale, New Jersey, ran unopposed until a late write-in candidate won easily.
The candidate did not appear indicted after his January 6, 2021 Capitol appearance, when he claimed to be providing “security” and did not enter or face charges. He won the school board election with 895 votes and his opponent 52. A Northvale resident who had unsuccessfully run for town council as a Democrat, the opponent argued the big gap spoke for itself.
The newly elected board member was shocked by his strong win but confident given his unchallenged status in an interview the day after election results were validated. He said voters had heard “extremist” and “old news” about his earlier ties during previous municipal office and state assembly races.
New board member will oversee district budgets for Closter, Demarest, Haworth, Harrington Park, Norwood, Northvale, and Old Tappan students. According to him, the education system has “strayed from the fundamentals” of reading, writing, and arithmetic and may have engaged in transgender social engineering. When asked about specific intentions, he said the board must assess the situation after he takes office and he will approach his new role with “open eyes and open ears.”
Greater implications for suburban New Jersey educational governance. Despite global attention on the January 6 Capitol storming, some local voters care more about taxation, fiscal control, and curriculum than national conflicts involving specific politicians. This suggests political ideology, competency, transparency, and how candidates discuss “teaching basics” vs. cultural concerns are increasingly influencing local politics.
In this election, write-in challenges and grassroots mobilization were powerful. Two weeks before Election Day, the opponent launched a write-in campaign, reducing outreach, publicity, and voter turnout. The opponent felt he got 200 write-in votes, but county election authorities said the school board position had fewer. That shows how time, campaign infrastructure, and name recognition still matter in local elections.
The new board member in Northvale and the Northern Valley Regional district will focus on financial discipline, curriculum, and how schools prioritize traditional education over social or identity-based issues. The district has two high schools and many municipalities, so the board’s spending, staffing, and academic programming influence families, taxpayers, and students.
The election may affect surrounding school board races as curriculum, parental engagement, and financial issues intensify. Political analysts will assess if this victory boosts fiscal discipline and cultural education candidates. Critics fear that involvement with January 6 groups may damage reputations without formal accusations.
The election shows how local school board races—often overlooked—can become forums for wider social issues like identity, governance, and public education. In this scenario, voters supported a politician whose national spotlight moment did not overwhelm his appeal on local issues, suggesting that citizens are increasingly influenced by policy pledges over past controversies.
Sources
Former Oath Keeper wins a seat on this N.J. school board — Bergen County election results and candidate statements.
Note: Based on publicly available election coverage and candidate remarks.
