Jim Kelly

Non-Partisan | California

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Candidate Profile

Grossmont Union High School District Governing Board, Trustee Area 5 California General | November 3, 2026

Verified Conservative

BIOGRAPHY

EDUCATION

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo, CA, Bachelor of Science, 1976-

San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, Master of Arts, 1983-

WORK & MILITARY

Allstate Insurance Company, Agent?Owner, 1988-2026

AFFILIATIONS

Grossmont Union High School District Board, Governing Board Member, 2002-2026

San Diego County Board of Education, Governing Board Member, 1993-2002

San Diego County Republican Central Committee, Central Committee Member, 1996-2024

POLITICAL OFFICES HELD

Candidate did not provide

POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT

Candidate did not provide

ENDORSEMENTS

CONSERVATIVE (2)

Reform California

Republican Party of San Diego County

REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (2)

Darrell Issa

Bill Wells

SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS

CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (9)

James "Jim" M. Desmond (2025)

Local, County, and District Republican Organizations (2025)

Bill Wells (2023)

Tim Scott (2023)

Brian Maryott (2022)

RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (1)

State Republican Party Organizations (2005)


SELECTED FINANCIAL SOURCE DOCUMENTS

Kelly, Shield, Woods for Grossmont Union High School District 2022 Candidate Committee Campaign Statement (10/23/2022 - 12/31/2022) from San Diego County Registrar of Voters

Selected contributions/expenditures:

Kelly, Shield, Woods for Grossmont Union High School District 2022 Candidate Committee Campaign Statement (09/25/2022 - 10/22/2022) from San Diego County Registrar of Voters

Selected contributions/expenditures:

Kelly, Shield, Woods for Grossmont Union High School District 2022 Candidate Committee Campaign Statement (01/01/2022 - 09/24/2022) from San Diego County Registrar of Voters

Selected contributions/expenditures:

Complete list of candidate's Campaign Finance Reports can be found on the San Diego County Registrar of Voters Website.

OTHER INFORMATION

QUESTIONNAIRE

RIGHT TO LIFE

Human life deserves legal protection from conception until natural death.

Strongly Agree

What role should the school serve in helping a student with an unwanted or crisis pregnancy?

Give referral to a pro-life organization


ECONOMY

Student loan forgiveness unfairly shifts the financial burden to those not responsible for student debt.

Strongly Agree

What is your position on government funding of public education from Pre-K through college?

Parents must have ultimate control of the education choice of their child's education destiny.


RELIGIOUS LIBERTY

With regard to public schools, what does "separation of church and state" mean to you?

The state must have no control over the church.


IMMIGRATION

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) enhances the safety and security of communities by identifying and detaining illegal aliens.

Strongly Agree


EDUCATION

Abortion and gender-affirming providers, including Planned Parenthood, should be a resource for instruction or services in the school.

Strongly Disagree

Consequences for bad behavior create a safe and orderly environment, which is essential for student learning.

Strongly Agree

Educators should give students a thorough education in America's founding documents and cultivate American patriotism.

Strongly Agree

I support eliminating the U.S. Department of Education and giving control back to states and communities.

Strongly Agree

If you support the teaching of Sex Ed, please answer the following question: Sexual education should include these topics (list all that apply and add your own, if needed) -- abortion methods and side effects; abstinence; consent; contraceptive methods; human anatomy/the reproductive system; physical and emotional health outcomes; sex acts and pleasures of sex; sexual orientation and gender identity; stages of pregnancy and fetal development

The benefits of abstinence until marriage; negative effects of abortion; description of abortion on the unborn baby.

Please list in order the following priorities in relation to the role of a K-12 public school (omitting any that do not apply): American History, Art & Music, Civics, Critical Race Theory, Foreign Language, Gender Identity, Information Technology, Language Arts, Mathematics, Personal Finances, Physical Fitness, Political Activism, Science, Sexuality, Social Emotional Learning, Vocational Learning

American History; Art and Music; Civics; Foreign Language; Language Arts; Mathematics; Personal Finance; Physical Fitness; Science; Vocational Learning.

Public schools should prioritize academic achievement and building character necessary to preserve American traditions and self-government.

Strongly Agree

School choice creates competition, and that competition will push public schools to improve their educational systems.

Strongly Agree


VALUES

Biological males should be allowed to participate in women's sports or occupy biological women's spaces whether it be bathrooms, locker rooms, sorority houses, women's shelters, or prison.

Strongly Disagree

Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.

I am a proud born again Christian whose spiritual beliefs come from The Bible.

Government should recognize and support the fundamental right and essential duty of parents to direct their child's health and educational well-being.

Strongly Agree

I support the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., that people should be judged by the content of their character and not the color of their skin.

Strongly Agree

Marriage is a God-ordained, sacred and legal union of one man and one woman. No government has the authority to alter this definition.

Strongly Agree

Mental health conditions such as anorexia and gender dysphoria need to be treated, not affirmed.

Strongly Agree

School library books that have literary value, as determined by experts, should be exempt from obscenity laws.

Strongly Disagree


ELECTIONS AND VOTING

People should be able to vote without photo identification.

Strongly Disagree


ABOUT YOU

Have you ever been convicted of a felony? If so, please explain.

Never

Have you ever been penalized for sexual misconduct in either civil or criminal court? If so, please explain.

Never

I voted in these primaries and general elections:

2014 Republican Primary 2014 General Election 2016 Republican Primary 2016 General Election 2018 Republican Primary 2018 General Election 2020 Republican Primary 2020 General Election 2022 Republican Primary 2022 General Election

What political party are you affiliated with?

Republican Party

When you consider your views on a wide range of issues from economic and social matters to immigration and religious liberty, which of the following best describes you overall?

Very Conservative


2ND AMENDMENT

Faculty who are licensed to carry and have had ongoing training should be allowed to carry guns at school in order to respond to an active shooter situation.

Strongly Agree

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