Current:Home > reviewsIncumbents beat DeSantis-backed candidates in Florida school board race -ProfitQuest Academy
Incumbents beat DeSantis-backed candidates in Florida school board race
View
Date:2025-04-15 03:37:01
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Incumbent school board members in one of Florida’s largest swing counties appear to have held off a challenge from candidates backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, according to preliminary results. Activists had hoped that three challengers endorsed by the local chapter of Moms for Liberty would win a conservative majority in Pinellas County, home to St. Petersburg on Florida’s Gulf Coast.
But unofficial results show current school board chair Laura Hine and incumbent member Eileen Long have held on to their seats, after arguing that a political shift on the board could create turmoil in the district and distract from the mission of student achievement.
In a third race for an open seat on the Pinellas board, candidates Stacy Geier and Katie Blaxberg appeared to be headed for a runoff, after no one in the three-way contest cleared 50% of the vote.
With 100% of precincts reporting, Hine, the board chair, carried 69% of the vote over DeSantis-backed challenger Danielle Marolf’s 30%, according to preliminary results. Incumbent member Long brought in 54% of the vote over the 45% netted by Erika Picard, who was also endorsed by the Republican governor.
“We have got to stay focused on that work at hand and not be subject to the social political winds. Education is vital. And it has to be stable,” Hine told The Associated Press ahead of Tuesday’s elections. “I think we really have succeeded with that so far here in Pinellas County.”
In the third race for the board, Stacy Geier garnered 37% of the vote compared to Katie Blaxberg’s 34%, with a third candidate Brad DeCorte netting 28%, according to the county’s preliminary results. Geier was endorsed by DeSantis and the local Chapter of Moms for Liberty, while Blaxberg has argued parental rights activists have gone too far, with some equating books with pornography and labeling teachers as “groomers”. She found herself on the opposing side of the local chapter of Moms for Liberty and was targeted by conservative activists online.
“The misinformation that has been spread by this group of people and the intent to … place mistrust in our teachers,” Blaxberg said, “people are tired of it.”
Much of the political debate in the races had hinged on “parental rights”, a movement which grew out of opposition to pandemic precautions in schools but now is animated by heated complaints over teachings about identity, race and history.
___ Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
veryGood! (516)
Related
- Alex Murdaugh’s murder appeal cites biased clerk and prejudicial evidence
- In the rough: Felony convictions could cost Trump liquor licenses at 3 New Jersey golf courses
- Best in Show: Father's Day Gifts to Make Every Dog Dad Feel Like Top Dog
- Michael Mosley, British doctor and TV presenter, found dead after vanishing on Greek island
- Finally, good retirement news! Southwest pilots' plan is a bright spot, experts say
- Teresa Giudice Breaks Silence on Real Housewives of New Jersey's Canceled Season 14 Reunion
- BBC Presenter Dr. Michael Mosley's Cause of Death Revealed
- 10 members of NC State’s 1983 national champions sue NCAA over name, image and likeness compensation
- Appeals court scraps Nasdaq boardroom diversity rules in latest DEI setback
- Marquette University President Michael Lovell dies in Rome
Ranking
- Woman dies after Singapore family of 3 gets into accident in Taiwan
- Julia Louis-Dreyfus calls PC comedy complaints a 'red flag' after Jerry Seinfeld comments
- Courteney Cox recreates her Bruce Springsteen 'Dancing in the Dark' dance on TikTok
- 1 dead, several others stabbed after Northern California lakeside brawl; suspect detained
- Nearly half of US teens are online ‘constantly,’ Pew report finds
- Kelly Clarkson confirms she won't be joining 'American Idol' after Katy Perry exit: 'I can't'
- Ex-police officer who once shared cell with Jeffrey Epstein gets life in prison for 4 murders
- 2024 Men's College World Series teams: Who has punched a ticket to Omaha?
Recommendation
Federal appeals court upholds $14.25 million fine against Exxon for pollution in Texas
3 fun iPhone text tricks to make messaging easier, more personal
Bypassing Caitlin Clark for Olympics was right for Team USA. And for Clark, too.
High prices and mortgage rates have plagued the housing market. Now, a welcome shift
Backstage at New York's Jingle Ball with Jimmy Fallon, 'Queer Eye' and Meghan Trainor
A clemency petition is his last hope. The Missouri inmate is unhappy with it.
India's Narendra Modi sworn in for third term as prime minister
These American Flag Swimsuits Are Red, White & Cute: Amazon, Cupshe, Target, Old Navy & More