Basley, Smith ousted from Cromaine Library Board
Seven candidates competed for four seats on the Cromaine District Library Board on Nov. 3. The election was shaped by ongoing disputes over book challenges and the future direction of the organization. According to unofficial results, of those candidates, the winners were Ethan Hawker (16.17%), Nancy Rosso (16.08%), David MacGregor (14.31%) and Jeannine Gogoleski (13.92%). Three of those candidates — Hawker, Rosso and MacGregor — were backed by Cromaine for Everyone, a nonprofit organization that opposes censorship in libraries. The race came after a year of conflict over more than 200 books challenged at the library by a group of 12 individuals, who alleged the materials involved the “sexualization/exploitation of children.” In October 2025, trustees agreed to read all of the challenged books before making any decisions about where they should be shelved. However, officials abandoned that effort in May 2026 after reading 58. The rest of the books were moved to the adult section, unread. More: These candidates are hoping for a seat on the Cromaine Library Board The remaining candidates were incumbents Becky Basley and Dawn Smith and newcomer Griffin Wright, the latter of which was also backed by Cromaine for Everyone. — Contact reporter Tess Ware at
Livingston County, MI · 4d
