POLISCOPE
Back to feed
NewsWUSF (NPR Tampa Bay)August 20, 2026Hillsborough

Florida school board primary results show shift away from partisan-aligned candidates

Recent primary election results in several Florida counties indicate a decline in the success of candidates backed by far-right groups like Moms for Liberty. Candidates are increasingly focusing on classroom technology, teacher pay, and student well-being rather than the culture war issues that dominated previous election cycles.

educationelectionsschool boardpolitics
Read the full story at WUSF (NPR Tampa Bay)

Why It Matters

The shift in school board composition directly impacts local education policy, including curriculum focus, classroom management, and administrative priorities for the upcoming school terms.

Key Facts

  • Sarasota County school board flipped from a conservative majority to include two Democrat-backed candidates.
  • Hernando County educator Dana Pearce unseated incumbent Michael Johnson.
  • Hernando County District 5 race between Susan Duval and Kara Champion is headed to a runoff.
  • Pasco County incumbent Megan Harding won reelection against Michelle Mandarin.
  • Pasco County District 1 race between Kimberly Coward and Gino Collura is headed to a runoff.
  • Manatee County District 5 race between Camden Bedinghaus and Jonathan Mullis is headed to a runoff.
  • Florida voters rejected a 2024 constitutional initiative to make school board elections partisan.
  • Governor Ron DeSantis did not issue school board endorsements in the 2024 cycle.
  • Candidates are increasingly focusing on classroom technology, teacher pay, and AI usage rather than culture war topics.
  • The parental rights movement, prominent during the COVID-19 pandemic, has seen a decline in electoral influence.

Who's Mentioned

personRon DeSantis“Governor of Florida who previously endorsed school board candidates”personBridget Ziegler“Moms for Liberty co-founder who did not seek reelection”personJonathan Mullis“Bradenton Kiwanis Club president”personDana Pearce“Educator who unseated incumbent Michael Johnson”personSusan Duval“Hernando County school board incumbent”personJimmy Glover“Sarasota school board candidate”personMichelle Mandarin“Pasco County school board candidate”personGus Bilirakis“Republican congressman”personKimberly Coward“Pasco County school board candidate”organizationMoms for Liberty“Conservative organization that previously backed school board candidates”personShannon Rodriguez“Hernando County school board incumbent”personMichael Johnson“Former Hernando County school board member”personSteve Champion“Hernando County Commissioner”personMegan Harding“Pasco County school board incumbent”personSean Freeder“Associate professor at University of North Florida”personCamden Bedinghaus“Turning Point USA director”personGino Collura“Pasco-Hernando State College Board of Trustees member”personAubrey Jewett“University of Central Florida professor”personKara Champion“Hernando County school board candidate”personSusan McManus“Retired University of South Florida professor”