Julie Flores-Castillo.
By BRIAN DONOHUE
She may have lost the election. But Julie Flores-Castillo says she’ll be back.
“This may not have been our moment, but it will come soon, and when it does, it will be powerful,” the 22-year-old said in a statement a day after falling short in a bid for a seat on the Red Bank Borough Board of Education.
Flores came in fourth in Tuesday’s race for three open spots on the nine-member board overseeing the Red Bank primary and middle schools.
She lost to political rival and plaintiff in a defamation suit against her, five-term board member Suzanne Viscomi; and two candidates she had endorsed, incumbent Paul Savoia and first-time candidate Christy Sunquist.
Flores was seeking to become the first, first-generation American to graduate from Red Bank schools in the current wave of migration and then sit on the board that oversees them. Born in the U.S., she says she was inspired to go into public service by the deportation of her father when she was 14.
“When I decided to run, I knew exactly what it meant and why I was doing it,” her statement reads. “For me, this race was never just about a seat, it was about representation. It was about standing up for our community and first-generation students, who in times like these have been made to feel invisible or undeserving of opportunity.”
Her full statement is below.
redbankgreen editor Brian Donohue may be reached via email at [email protected] or by calling or texting 848-331-8331 or yelling his name loudly as he walks by. Do you value the news coverage provided by redbankgreen? Please become a financial supporter if you haven’t already. Click here to set your own level of monthly or annual contribution.
