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OTBA Legislative Committee · Candidate video interviews

School Board

Everyone in this race answered the same questions, in the same order, with the same time limit.

Candidates are listed in the order they appear on the Portsmouth ballot. That order is set by the Office of the General Registrar, not by us, and it is not a ranking. How we keep it fair

Candidate statements are their own and have not been fact-checked by OTBA or Total Media Lab.

Compare one question at a time

Pick a question. You get every answer to it, back to back, jumped straight to the moment each one starts.

Answers to question 01 · draw order · 1:00 limit

Introduce yourself. Who are you, what do you do, and how long have you been in Portsmouth?

  1. Melvin Cotton Jr. Play from 0:00
  2. Denzel Glover Play from 0:00
  3. Luis F. Padilla Play from 0:00
  4. Cardell C. Patillo, Jr. Play from 0:00
  5. Justin V. Randall-Jenkins Play from 0:00
  6. Tamara L. Shewmake Play from 0:00

Answers to question 02 · draw order · 1:30 limit

What is the most urgent problem in Portsmouth Public Schools, and what would you do about it in your first year?

  1. Melvin Cotton Jr. Play from 0:40
  2. Denzel Glover Play from 1:00
  3. Luis F. Padilla Play from 0:32
  4. Cardell C. Patillo, Jr. Play from 1:00
  5. Justin V. Randall-Jenkins Play from 0:44
  6. Tamara L. Shewmake Play from 1:00

Answers to question 03 · draw order · 1:30 limit

How should the division measure whether it is succeeding? What number do you watch?

  1. Melvin Cotton Jr. Play from 1:36
  2. Denzel Glover Play from 1:55
  3. Luis F. Padilla Play from 1:03
  4. Cardell C. Patillo, Jr. Play from 1:40
  5. Justin V. Randall-Jenkins Play from 1:22
  6. Tamara L. Shewmake Play from 2:10

Answers to question 04 · draw order · 1:30 limit

What is the School Board's job, and what is the superintendent's job? Where is the line?

  1. Melvin Cotton Jr. Play from 2:30
  2. Denzel Glover Play from 3:05
  3. Luis F. Padilla Play from 1:45
  4. Cardell C. Patillo, Jr. Play from 2:39
  5. Justin V. Randall-Jenkins Play from 2:05
  6. Tamara L. Shewmake Play from 3:23

Answers to question 05 · draw order · 1:30 limit

Portsmouth Public Schools operates on a budget funded largely by city and state dollars. Where would you put more money, where would you cut, and how do you defend that to a taxpayer who disagrees?

  1. Melvin Cotton Jr. Play from 3:20
  2. Denzel Glover Play from 4:00
  3. Luis F. Padilla Play from 2:32
  4. Cardell C. Patillo, Jr. Play from 3:38
  5. Justin V. Randall-Jenkins Play from 2:54
  6. Tamara L. Shewmake Play from 4:20

Answers to question 06 · draw order · 1:30 limit

What is one thing the division got right that you would continue?

  1. Melvin Cotton Jr. Play from 4:40
  2. Denzel Glover Play from 5:10
  3. Luis F. Padilla Play from 3:25
  4. Cardell C. Patillo, Jr. Play from 4:47
  5. Justin V. Randall-Jenkins Play from 4:10
  6. Tamara L. Shewmake Play from 6:00

Answers to question 07 · draw order · 1:00 limit

Why should a Portsmouth voter choose you?

  1. Melvin Cotton Jr. Play from 5:44
  2. Denzel Glover Play from 5:47
  3. Luis F. Padilla Play from 3:55
  4. Cardell C. Patillo, Jr. Play from 6:05
  5. Justin V. Randall-Jenkins Play from 4:38
  6. Tamara L. Shewmake Play from 7:09

Official election information

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