For conservatives running for school boards in California, any dream of a "red wave" proved to be a dud as Republican candidates, including a member of an extremist right-wing group, lost in most races across the state.
But even some unsuccessful campaigns garnered enough votes to feed into an already acute sense of political polarization that was once missing from local school board races. And conservative groups feel they've found a playbook for winning more.
Jeffrey "Erik" Perrine, a member of the Proud Boys extremist group, lost his bid to win a seat on the San Juan Unified school board. But more than 2,600 people in Sacramento County voted for him — 18% of the vote in his district, according to the latest election update.
