The winners of Tuesday’s election of Douglas County School District board members campaigned on progressive values.

Douglas County voters chose Clark Callahan, Kelly Denzler, Kyrzia Parker and Tony Ryan to make up four of the seven-member board. All four candidates were endorsed by the county’s Democratic Party.

Their Republican opponents mostly ran on partisan issues.

“I don’t believe that politics should dictate how decisions are made in a school district,” Ryan told The Denver Gazette on Wednesday.

“I am committed to making decisions based on what is best for students, not partisan talking points,” he said.

Ryan, along with others elected, ran on progressive issues, like funding a number of educational programs. Their opponents notably ran on conservative values, like disallowing transgender boys in girls’ sports.

Douglas County’s school board has swung back and forth in recent years between conservative and progressive majorities.

Ryan said, “Our communities should always strive toward progress. Only by growth and adaptation can we be prepared for anything that life throws at us, and I want to instill that mindset in all of our students.”

“I am excited that voters chose four candidates with different opinions on a variety of issues and are united in ensuring that all of our young people thrive,” Callahan, the projected winner in District E, told The Denver Gazette.

All four candidates projected to win teamed up with the name “community choice, community voice.”

“The message that voters sent,” Callahan said of the group winning, “is that they care about public education, they believe in schools that work for all kids – not just some.”

He added the voters’ decision represented “a rejection of politics and culture war issues on the school board.”

DCSD has more than 61,000 students across 92 charter, elementary, middle and high schools.

More than half of Douglas County voters are unaffiliated voters, who, in years past, have elected a sitting Douglas County board of commissioners who identify as conservative.

There are 324,799 registered voters in Douglas County, where over 400,000 people call home. Of the registered voters, 51.72% are unaffiliated voters. Republicans make up 30.79%, while 16.36% of its voters identify as Democrat, according to the Douglas County voter statistics page.

Just over 118,000 Douglas County voters took part in the board of education election.

Below are results as of 1 p.m. on Wednesday:

District G: Kelly Denzler (53.39%), Stephen Vail (46.61%)

Denzler’s issues pertained to equitable education and teacher recruitment/retention. Vail campaigned on defending parents’ rights, keeping transgender boys out of girls’ sports and board transparency.

District B: Kyrzia Parker (51.52%), Matthew Smith (48.48%)

Parker campaigned on prioritizing students and their programming, plus strengthening trust with educators. Smith ran on teaching real world skills, transparency and accountability for leaders.

District E: Clark Callahan (52.96%), Deborah (Dede) Kramer (47.04%), 

Callahan ran on disciplined financing, competitive compensation and high academic standards. Kramer ran on academic excellence, while also referencing the issue of transgender boys in girls’ sports.

District D: Tony Ryan (53.42%), Keaton Gambill (46.58%)

Ryan campaigned on safety in schools, mental health resources and extracurricular activities. Gambill ran on school support systems, school safety conduct policies and academic performance.

The outgoing DCSD board members include Tim Moore, Becky Myers, Christy Williams and Kaylee Winegar. Brad Geiger, Susan Meek and Valerie Thompson will continue their current terms.

“Over the coming weeks, we will focus on welcoming our new board directors and helping them hit the ground running,” DCSD Superintendent Erin Kane said in a statement. 

“I am confident that our new Board of Education, alongside our staff, families, and community, will further the mission of our amazing school district by working to ensure every one of our students can reach their individual potential,” she said.