Jason Smithson

Non-Partisan | Arizona

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Candidate Profile

Mesa Public Schools Governing Board, 4-Year Seats (vote for two) Arizona General | November 3, 2026

Leans Conservative

BIOGRAPHY

EDUCATION

Candidate did not provide

WORK & MILITARY

Candidate did not provide

AFFILIATIONS

Az Department of Education Committee of Practitioners, Member, 2026-

National Association of Special Education Teachers, Parent Member/Advocate, 2025-

Council of Parents, Advocates, and Attorneys, Advocate, 2025-

POLITICAL OFFICES HELD

Candidate did not provide

POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT

Mesa Public Schools Governing Board Member, 2026-

SELECTED FINANCIAL SOURCE DOCUMENTS

Complete list of candidate's Campaign Finance Reports can be found on the Maricopa County Elections website.

OTHER INFORMATION

QUESTIONNAIRE

RIGHT TO LIFE

Human life deserves legal protection from conception until natural death.

Neutral

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

Schools should involve parents or guardians and encourage healthy family involvement when appropriate. At the same time, educators should not pressure a student towards abortion, adoption, or parenting. Those are deeply personal decisions that belong to the student and her family, consistent with the law, not the school district.


ECONOMY

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

Agree

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

I support government funding of public education. Public schools serve every child who walks through their doors, and they need adequate resources to provide students with a high quality education, retain great teachers, maintain safe facilities, and properly serve students with disabilities. With that said, supporting public education does not mean giving districts blank checks. Taxpayers deserve to know where their money is going and how the money is being spent.


RELIGIOUS LIBERTY

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

Public Schools should never impose religion on students, but they should also never discriminate against someone because of their faith. Our public schools should respect families, educators, support staff, and students of every faith and those of no faith.


IMMIGRATION

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

Choose not to answer


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.

Neutral

While I believe the states should take back control of Education, I firmly believe Special Education needs to continue to have Federal oversight in regards to IDEA and FAPE.La

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

Did not answer

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

Language Arts, Math, American History, Art and Music, Personal Finances, Information Technology, Physical Fitness, Foreign Language, Science

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.

Did not answer

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.

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.

Choose not to answer

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

Choose not to answer

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

Choose not to answer


ELECTIONS AND VOTING

People should be able to vote without photo identification.

Disagree


ABOUT YOU

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

No

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

No

I voted in these primaries and general elections:

2014 General Election 2016 General Election 2018 General Election 2020 General Election 2022 General Election

What political party are you affiliated with?

Did not answer

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?

Choose not to answer


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.

Agree

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