The race for the Rockingham County School Board District Three seat has been filled with controversy and chaos over the past few months, partly because of the record and actions of the Republican incumbent, Matt Cross. In the second part of a two-part series, WMRA’s Bridget Manley examines who is supporting each of the candidates and how the race might unfold with a third candidate in the mix.
Read and listen to part one here.
In 2021, Matt Cross secured his first election victory for the school board with strong support and the first endorsement from the county Republicans. Cross campaigned against COVID mask mandates and other issues important to Republicans. His strategy proved successful, and he received more than 54% of the vote, defeating two other candidates.
When Cross became board chair in 2024, the board made headlines for its controversial decisions, including banning 57 books, banning the display of all flags except the American and Virginian flags in schools, and firing its longtime attorney, among others.
Matt Dale is a candidate for Rockingham County Supervisor and the former chair of the District Three County Republicans. Dale supported Cross in his first election but has since shifted his support to conservative challenger Hilary Irons. He has been frustrated that Cross has attacked teachers, parents, and fellow Republicans both on and off social media.
MATT DALE: You do not need to be a firebomb-throwing activist. You are in government. Govern. Simply govern. You do not need to be a bull in a china shop.
Cross has not responded to multiple requests for comment.
LEILA LONGCOR: We have to work collaboratively as a team to spend millions of dollars of taxpayers’ money, and we need grown-ups in these positions. Not people that will get online, on social media, and get in the weeds of negativity.
Leila Longcor is a Rockingham County supervisor and supporter of Irons.
LONGCOR: That is not doing anything for Rockingham County. And truthfully, it’s hurting us as a community, and it hurts us from a sheer economic development standpoint.
Still, there is strong grassroots backing for Cross. Jocelyn Hinegardner, a former homeschool mom and District Three resident, supports Cross. She believes that he will never become a political puppet controlled by what she considers the donor class.
JOCELYN HINEGARDNER: I need a man who’s got the courage to stand and be accounted. And that’s Matt. He has never hid, he has always been transparent about all of the issues. And that’s what we needed back four years ago, and that’s what we need now, even more.
Meanwhile, a third candidate has been running a campaign for the seat even before Irons entered the race. Lauren Mullen, a former teacher and assistant professor at JMU, has positioned herself as the more progressive candidate – Mullen opposes banning books and advocates for unity and the safety of marginalized communities.
LAUREN MULLEN: Over the last four years, I’ve just seen what has been happening on the school board, with a lot of polarization. There have been a lot of things they have done, decisions they have made, that have marginalized children. And at the end of the day, these are children.
Mullen says that she does agree with both candidates on issues such as cell phone bans during the school day, but feels that she has the ability to learn and change her mind instead of fixating on ideology.
MULLEN: Being flexible. Being adaptable. Not being so fixed in this ideology that is running through the school board. The differences are I’m not endorsed by any political party. I actually have people who are conservative and liberal who are supporting me to some degree, which has been really cool.
Meanwhile, Irons says that a more conservative platform doesn’t mean she won’t represent all students when elected, nor will she use divisiveness as a tool to govern.
HILARY IRONS: Inflammation and division is not of the Lord, I don’t believe. And you can’t now – especially in these days, with social media – you don’t know who you are inflaming. And what they are going to do as a result.
Irons believes her platform speaks to the largest constituency in the district, and that support will ultimately win her the election.
IRONS: It’s not just been a Republican shift towards me. The shift towards me is across the political spectrum. Our county is red, I am the best Republican candidate for the seat, and I’m the only candidate who can defeat the incumbent. District Three deserves better.
Early voting continues through November 1st. Election day is November 4th.
