Colorado mom shows what courage and conviction looks like on the campaign trail

By Nicole Hunt | Commentary, Daily Citizen

I recently ran and was elected to my local school board. Running for office was a learning experience in more ways than one, but there are three important lessons I learned on the campaign trail that will stay with me for life.  

When I first felt the nudge to step forward, I took time to talk to my family and pray about it. As a mother with sincere convictions, but no interest in being a career politician, I wanted to make sure the timing was right for my family. My husband and I have four children — two in high school and two in middle school. My family is the first and most important priority in my life after my faith in Jesus Christ.

As we began to discuss the idea, I was encouraged by my kids who said, “Mom, you are perfect for this job.” And “You should definitely do it. You could help a lot of families.” My husband reiterated the importance of teaching our kids what it looks like to live out our convictions and beliefs.

After careful consideration, my faith and my family were the determining factors in my decision to throw my hat into the ring and run for office.

From the beginning, I knew that if I was going to run, I would do so on my values — without apology, without compromise, and without trying to please everyone.

In particular, I was motivated by my beliefs that parental rights ought to be respected by every public school in America, school boards have a duty to protect the innocence of kids at school, my unwavering belief that girls’ sports is for girls, and that public schools need to get back to focusing on academic excellence instead of indoctrination.

I learned quickly that even in a small, rural community, I needed to be prepared to stand my ground.

Lesson 1: Never Apologize for Your Values

From the moment my name was announced as a candidate for school board, it became clear that for some voters, standing for biblical truth and a Christian worldview somehow disqualified me as a public servant. I unapologetically defended parental rights, rejected woke indoctrination in the classroom, and yes, I said girls’ sports is only for girls because it’s a matter of dignity, safety, respect and fairness. I didn’t take these positions because they were politically convenient, but because they are morally obvious.

A vocal minority of voters didn’t like those beliefs and targeted me on social media, calling me many names and attempting to discredit me. And you know what I learned? That’s okay.

When you run on conviction, you cannot soften your message. The world doesn’t need more politicians who change their positions based on public polling or critics. It needs more people willing to stand without flinching.

Lesson 2: Persevere in the Face of Adversity

During my campaign, sixteen of my banners were vandalized — slashed, stolen, and spray-painted with Nazi swastikas. Imagine that: defending the innocence of children gets you compared to a Nazi.

Source: Nicole Hunt

The attacks weren’t random. They were meant to intimidate me. To make me shrink back from my beliefs and to pressure me to be quiet. But instead of discouraging me, they lit a stronger fire inside of me to speak the truth.

Because when you stand for truth, evil will try to find a way to push back. But here’s the key: truth doesn’t retreat.

John 1:5 says, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

I cleaned every sign that was vandalized. I kept knocking on doors. I kept showing up. And the people saw not only my resolve in the face of hate, but they also saw that the hate didn’t win.

READ THE FULL COMMENTARY AT THE DAILY CITIZEN

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