Dr. Marianne “Mari” Gibbs led the ticket in the six-person race for three At-large seats on the Mathews County School Board, receiving over 19 percent of the vote (2,293 votes), to win her first full four-year term on the board.
Joining Gibbs on the school board are Mary Kathryn Diggs, who received 18.79 percent of the vote, or 2,229 votes, and Calvin Morgan, who placed third with 18.17 percent or 2,155 votes.
Gibbs joined the board following the 2022 election, when she won a special election for the remaining year of the seat left vacant by the resignation of Jeanice Sadler.
“I am so grateful for the community support I have received during my campaign and am extremely humbled to be reelected,” Gibbs said. “I look forward to beginning a new, four-year term in January 2024 and pledge to continue to work diligently on the school board’s number-one objective: improving student achievement in Mathews County.”
“I would like to thank everyone for their support,” Morgan said. “I look forward to serving on the Mathews County School Board and working with the other board members to improve public education in Mathews.
“Let’s make Mathews schools what they once were … The Best,” he concluded.
“I was overwhelmed last night by the victory our group had,” Diggs said on Wednesday morning. While she was delighted with the outcome, both for herself and her fellow Mathews Citizens for the Common Good candidates running for supervisors, she was sorry her fellow Common Good school board candidates (Smith and Broaddus) didn’t win as well.
“I’m delighted with the voters’ confidence in me,” Diggs said, pledging to work with everyone for the improvement of Mathews County Schools.
“I didn’t realize how large Mathews County was until I started knocking on doors,” she quipped.
Incumbent Desmond Smith received the fourth highest vote total, 15.09 percent of the vote in his unsuccessful bid for a second term on the school board. Also on this year’s ballot, but failing to secure a seat on the school board were Tina Bull Broaddus (14.95 percent of the vote) and Sharon Frye (13.6 percent).
Smith thanked “[his] former students and athletes and fellow teachers, family and friends” for their support in this election cycle. “It was a blessing to me and humbled me to see you at the polls and to hug many of you and to talk to you.”
“For those of you that voted for me, thank you for the love and support,” he said. “The opportunity to serve on the school board is an honor and it was and is a bucket list item for me that I fulfilled thanks to you so, from my heart to your heart, thank you.
“I didn’t do it for any political party because those things don’t matter to me along with the fact that it is a nonpartisan position,” Smith continued. “I did it and do it because of those great educators and the people of this county that helped form my life and that made me think and gave me an opportunity to become more educated.
“To the new boards, BOS and school board, it’s your turn now,” he said. “Forget the politics and remember each other. Mathews, we are all we have. So, now serve and try to help. Be blessed by God in all you do today and every day.”
Attempts to reach other school board candidates by press time were unsuccessful.