Democrats get edge in Florida school board races
FORT LAUDERDALE - Democratic-endorsed school board candidates fared somewhat better Tuesday than candidates backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
In July, DeSantis pitched an initial list of 23 endorsements statewide for the 2024 races. Of those candidates, six won primaries Tuesday, 11 lost and six others moved on to runoffs that will be decided in the November general election. The Florida Democratic Party ended the primaries with seven of its 11 endorsed candidates getting elected, two losing and two others going to runoffs.
Two conservatives appointed by DeSantis to the Broward school board appear to have lost their seats to challengers, according to preliminary results.
DeSantis tapped Torey Alston to step onto the Broward board in 2022 after the governor removed four elected board members from office after a grand jury accused them of mismanagement and neglect of duty. DeSantis appointed Daniel Foganholi to the board in 2023, after a candidate chosen by voters couldn't take office due to a prior criminal conviction.
Given the chance to decide on Tuesday, the county's voters chose to unseat both political appointees.
With 100% of Broward precincts reporting, Maura McCarthy Bulman carried 51% of the vote over Foganholi's 20%. A third candidate, Chris Canter, pulled in 28%.
Rebecca Thompson, who received backing from the Florida Democratic Party, netted 66% of the vote over Alston's 34%.
Thompson said Wednesday she was "overwhelmed" by her victory and wants more resources for mental health. She also opposed efforts to close schools as part of the repurposing plan to deal with dwindling enrollment and funding cuts.
"I think it puts our communities at a disadvantage when we don't have community schools," Bulman said she can work with the rest of the board.
"I want to support our teachers and school staff to make sure they are paid properly and being supported," she said.
The three elected incumbents running to keep their seats on the Broward board; Debbi Hixon, Jeff Holness and Sarah Leonardi each won by a more than 40% margin in their respective races.
Torey Alston, who lost his seat, said in a statement, "When I jumped into this nonpartisan race I knew that the odds would be against me if voters focused more on party affiliation than qualifications and experience."
Foganholi said he was glad they pulled the district to an A status and he accepted the voters choice.
In Miami-Dade County, DeSantis-endorsed incumbent Mary Blanco topped a three-candidate field but will have to face Democratic-backed Max Tuchman in a runoff.
The results were similar to other school board races in the state.
In Hillsborough County, Democratic-backed school board members Nadia Combs and Jessica Vaughn each received more than 50% of the vote to defeat Layla Collins and Myosha Powell, who were backed by the governor. Sitting board member Jessica Vaughn pulled in 58% of the vote, compared to the 41% earned by DeSantis-backed Myosha Powell.
In Duval County, the DeSantis-endorsed Melody Bolduc held off Sarah Mannion, who was endorsed by the state's Democratic Party.
In Pinellas County, unofficial results show current school board chair Laura Hine and incumbent member Eileen Long have held on to their seats. Hine carried 69% of the vote over DeSantis-backed challenger Danielle Marolf's 30%. Long received 54% of the vote compared to 45% netted by Erika Picard, who was endorsed by DeSantis.
DeSantis' opponents said the results are a pushback to his conservative education agenda.
On Wednesday DeSantis acknowledged the defeats and said, "It's an uphill battle but you have to do it."
The Associated Press and News Service of Florida contributed to this report.