Ron DeSantis’ School Board picks sputter on Election Night

Only six School Board candidates backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis celebrated victories in Tuesday’s Primary.

Out of DeSantis’ 23 endorsed candidates, voters rejected 11 outright. Six others failed to get majority support, meaning they must face a General Election runoff.

Republicans’ efforts to shape School Boards to be more conservative hit a roadblock in Tuesday’s elections as voters shot down many Moms for Liberty candidates.

“There were A LOT of uphill battles in historically blue districts today, but you don’t shift the culture by only supporting winnable races,” DeSantis spokesman Jeremy Redfern said on X on Election Night.

Meanwhile, seven of the 11 Florida Democratic Party (FDP)-supported School Board candidates won their Primaries statewide. Two others didn’t clear 50% of the vote, so they are going to run off elections.

“Our Take Back Local program has been a huge success,” said FDP Chair Nikki Fried. “The Florida Democratic Party supported school board candidates across the state to fight back against Ron’s Moms for Liberty candidates and their partisan extremism.”

In Florida, School Board races are currently nonpartisan. But in reality, the School Board elections are increasingly political, with both parties offering endorsements and schools grappling with issues on race, gender and book bans.

In Hillsborough, the Democrats’ and DeSantis’ endorsements went head-to-head. The Democrat-backed candidates, who were the incumbents, won both races against the Republican challengers.

The Indian River County School played a role in the formation of the Moms for Liberty national movement. That’s where the group’s co-founder, Tiffany Justice, first ran for School Board. But in Tuesday’s election, both DeSantis-backed Robert MacCallum and Kevin McDonald lost.

Moms for Liberty spoke out against mask requirements during the pandemic and pushed for parents to have more control over books in school libraries. The group’s co-founder, Bridget Ziegler, who has since left the group but now serves on the Sarasota County School Board, was caught up in her husband’s sex scandal. One political scientist warned that would likely turn off voters.

In Sarasota County, Karen Rose, the Chair on the majority right-leaning School Board, was also up for re-election Tuesday. Even Rose, who called for Ziegler to resign and had DeSantis’ support in Tuesday’s race, was ousted.

DeSantis’ picks are set for runoffs in Brevard, Hernando, Lee, Pinellas, Volusia and Miami-Dade counties, the latter of which is the biggest School District in the state.

Meanwhile, a few candidates backed by Democrats are heading for runoffs this November, in Seminole and Miami-Dade counties.

The statewide teachers union called Tuesday’s election results a victory proving that communities want their political leaders to invest more in their schools and teachers.

“Voters have spoken, and they firmly stand behind candidates who support neighborhood public schools,” said Andrew Spar, President of the Florida Education Association.

“Anti-public education politicians like Governor Ron DeSantis and his allies have used every opportunity — from working to erode our voting rights to pouring countless millions into candidates that will back their interests — to politicize school board races and to take the focus off what really matters — our students and their ability to access a free, world class public education.”

Educated We Stand, a group pushing back against conservative efforts to take over School Boards, also saw several victories Tuesday.

“I am incredibly proud of the success our endorsed candidates have achieved,” said Jennifer Jenkins, founder and Chair of Educated We Stand.

“In a time where our public education system faces immense challenges from well-funded far-right efforts to impose conservative ideology on our schools, these victories affirm the public’s support for leaders committed to diversity of thought, inclusivity, and fact-based education. Our mission to protect and empower our students with the knowledge they need to lead informed, successful lives remains more important than ever.”