High school student drops out of school board race
Incumbent McRae will face one opponent
By Chris Busby
Sophia Njaa, the Portland High School senior who became a certified candidate for the School Committee race in District 4, has dropped out of the running.
Njaa, 17, said she underestimated the amount of time and energy a school board race would entail, and needs to devote her attention to applying for college.
“The timing was off,” said Njaa, who is one of two non-voting student representatives to the board (the other is a Deering High School student). She will continue in her position as a student representative until school-wide elections for a new rep take place this December.
Njaa said she would encourage other students to take a shot at running for a voting seat on the nine-member board, but added, “I would also encourage them to know what they’re getting into.”
Njaa’s departure leaves two candidates in the race: incumbent Teri McRae and challenger Lori Gramlich.
Gramlich, 42, is a single mother and self-employed consultant. This is her first run for public office, though she has plenty of previous political experience – Gramlich was formerly the communications director for former State Senate President Beverly Daggett.
McRae is seeking a second term on the School Committee. Last fall, she was elected to be the Cumberland County Register of Probate.
