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Times Opinion: Reelect Ben Connor to keep a needed voice on Hamilton County Board of Education

Staff Photo by Seth Carpenter / Ben Connor speaks at a meeting for the JFK Luncheon Club on Tuesday, Mar. 17, 2026. Connor, an incumbent school board member, is the Democratic candidate for the Hamilton County Board of Education in District 6. Staff Photo by Seth Carpenter / Ben Connor speaks at a meeting for the JFK Luncheon Club on Tuesday, Mar. 17, 2026. Connor, an incumbent school board member, is the Democratic candidate for the Hamilton County Board of Education in District 6.

By Ben Sessoms July 13, 2026 1 min read

Editor’s note: Read all Times endorsements for Hamilton County Board of Education in the Aug. 6 election here.

In his time on the school board, Ben Connor, a Democrat, has been a needed voice opposing toxic decision making from his Republican counterparts. Nowhere is this more clear than the board’s decision to end the Centerstone contract.

Standing his ground, Connor advocated for continued access to these supplementary mental health services from the beginning.

Cindy Fain, his Republican challenger, championed the school board’s decision on Centerstone in a September opinion piece in the Chattanoogan.

It is clear that Fain fails to understand the importance of mental healthcare access for children. Connor, with his track record on the school board, has proven that he does.