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Leah Gardner Elected to District 196 School Board

 

Photo of Leah Gardner

Leah Gardner has been elected to fill the open seat on the District 196 School Board in the Nov. 5 Special School Board election, according to the Minnesota Secretary of State website. Two candidates appeared on the ballot: Melissa Field of Apple Valley and Leah Gardner of Eagan. Gardner, who is currently serving on the board, received 39,854 votes (56.42%), while Field received 30,257 votes (42.83%). Additionally, there were 529 write-in votes.

Gardner is the policy director at Hunger Solutions Minnesota, where she collaborates with nonprofits and state and federal agencies to combat hunger statewide. She has extensive experience in public policy, having worked with organizations like the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, and holds a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs.

Gardner was elected to complete the term of former board member Bianca Virnig, who resigned in February after being elected to the state Legislature. The term runs through 2025.

District 196 School Board has two additional vacancies due to Sachin Isaacs's resignation in October 2024 and Art Coulson's resignation in August 2024, which occurred after the filing deadline for the November 5 Election. The District 196 School Board must appoint two board members to fill the vacancies. Applications for the two vacant positions will open on November 13, 2024 following the official canvassing of the November 5 Election. Residents interested in serving on the school board are encouraged to apply. More information about the appointment process is on the district’s website