District details

Renner is a writer, producer, communications strategist and a single mom with one teenage daughter. According to her LinkedIn, she used her skills as a communications consultant at University of Nebraska at Omaha and deputy director and producer at Just Jump Films LLC. She also worked on a campaign called Nebraska Loves Public Schools, which she says sparked a desire to advocate for educators and students. She said she’s  running for office because she’s been concerned by “some of the rhetoric surrounding education issues in recent years” and wants to “be a voice for thoughtful and compassionate stewardship of our state school system.” She also told the Flatwater Free Press she wants to give back to an education system she’s benefitted from.

According to White Griffin’s LinkedIn, she started as a teacher in 1993. She remained in Omaha Public Schools until 2019 and worked her way from teacher to assistant principal and then to principal. In 2018, she founded Leaders to Leaders LLC., an organization that’s mission is to support families in private education and homeschool set-ups. The website states that the organization provides individualized support, builds community among members and educates young leaders. She told the Nebraska Voter Information Project she’s running for office because she believes there’s an education crisis and wants to focus on “problem-solution strategies” to help the education system.  

The winner will replace Jacquelyn Morrison, a Democrat who declined to seek reelection. In 2024, she disagreed with the proposal to ban books deemed sexually explicit by some, according to Omaha’s KETV. She critiqued the proposal’s broadness and said it could ban books that were important to her as a teenager.

On the issues

If elected, Renner’s priorities include teacher recruitment and retention, student mental health and reading and literacy skills. She believes the trust between communities and educators are eroding and wants to improve the rhetoric regarding education issues. Renner told the Flatwater Free Press she received endorsements from the Nebraska State Education Association, Nebraskans for Educational Excellence and State Board of Education member Deborah Neary.

White Griffin did not complete the Flatwater Free Press questionnaire, but  did answer questions from the Nebraska Family Alliance’s voter guide. She told them that she supports parental rights and that parents should have the most say about their children’s curriculum. She also told the Voter Information Project that she’s running to increase academic focus on early reading and dismantling the school to prison pipeline.  

White Griffin does not support comprehensive sex education, which would include teaching about sexuality and gender identity. Renner said she was neutral on the issue, but said she was disappointed the process was halted in 2021 and hopes the efforts will be revived.