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Jimmy Williams
In a resounding rejection of Governor Ron DeSantis’ conservative education agenda, school board candidates backed by the Republican were defeated in multiple key races across Florida on Tuesday.
The results, hailed by some as a rebuke of DeSantis’ attempts to overhaul the state’s public education system, come after months of controversy surrounding the governor’s conservative policies and endorsements.
In Pinellas County, a critical swing area on Florida’s Gulf Coast, school board incumbents Laura Hine and Eileen Long retained their seats despite challenges from candidates endorsed by DeSantis and the local chapter of Moms for Liberty. Hine, who serves as the school board chair, secured 69% of the vote against DeSantis-backed challenger Danielle Marolf. Long also held off a challenge, garnering 54% of the vote against Erika Picard.
“We have got to stay focused on that work at hand and not be subject to the social political winds,” Hine said ahead of Tuesday’s election. “Education is vital. And it has to be stable.”
In a third race for an open seat on the Pinellas board, DeSantis-endorsed Stacy Geier and opponent Katie Blaxberg are heading to a runoff, with neither candidate securing over 50% of the vote. Blaxberg, who has criticized conservative parental rights activists, pushed back against the divisive rhetoric she said was harming public education. “The misinformation that has been spread by this group of people and the intent to place mistrust in our teachers… people are tired of it,” Blaxberg remarked.
The losses continued for DeSantis in neighboring Hillsborough County, where two incumbent school board members targeted by the governor successfully held onto their positions. Nadia Combs and Jessica Vaughn, who had been supported by the Florida Democratic Party, both won decisive victories over DeSantis-backed challengers. Combs took 52% of the vote against Layla Collins, while Vaughn earned 58% in her race against Myosha Powell.
Combs interpreted the results as a repudiation of DeSantis’ political influence. “People want sanity. People want common sense. And people believe we should educate everyone,” she stated. “The people have spoken.”
DeSantis’ influence was also notably weakened in South Florida’s Broward County, a traditionally Democratic area. Voters ousted two conservative-leaning school board members appointed by DeSantis after a 2022 grand jury accused four board members of mismanagement. Appointee Daniel Foganholi lost his seat to Maura McCarthy Bulman, who received 51% of the vote to Foganholi’s 19%. Similarly, DeSantis appointee Torey Alston was defeated by Rebecca Thompson, who garnered 66% of the vote.
These defeats mark a significant setback for DeSantis’ efforts to reshape Florida’s public education system, a major focus of his governorship and a cornerstone of his national political ambitions. His campaign to endorse conservative candidates across school boards statewide was seen as part of a broader “parental rights” movement. This movement, initially sparked by opposition to COVID-19 precautions, has evolved into heated debates over curriculum concerning race, gender identity, and history.
Despite the widespread endorsements and aggressive campaigning by the governor and allied groups like Moms for Liberty, the results from Tuesday’s election indicate that many Floridians are rejecting the shift towards a more conservative, politically charged approach to education.
