Yesterday was election day in LA. Included in the contests were several for school board. Unfortunately incumbent Monica Garcia did defeat Robert Skeels, who would have been far better for education.
But there was a major upset.
According to the Los Angeles Times website, with 100% of votes counted (but not certified) incumbent School Board Member Steve Zimmer won 52-48 over Kate Anderson, who received hundreds of thousands of dollars from the corporatizers, including Murdoch's News Corp, and various billionaires. Anderson was also supported by the mayor.
I know this post lacks detail, but in an era post-Citizens United, and in an arena (education) where the future of democracy could literally be at risk, it is worth noting that it is possible to overcome the influence of money.
Yes, there may be some unique characteristics to this race, but we should also remember that it is possible to get past the barrage of advertising that the corporatists and billionaires have at their disposal.