State Chapters > Florida

DeSantis faces school board setback as endorsed candidates suffer defeat

(1/1)

mystery-ak:
DeSantis faces school board setback as endorsed candidates suffer defeat
By
Rachel Schilke
August 21, 2024 12:10 pm
.

Gov. Ron DeSantis‘s (R-FL) goal of electing conservative school boards across Florida hit several roadblocks Tuesday night, with nearly half of his endorsed candidates suffering defeat.

DeSantis, who has made national headlines for his stance on education in the Sunshine State, endorsed 23 candidates for Tuesday’s elections, and 11 appear to have lost, per Florida’s unofficial counts. Only six of DeSantis’s endorsed candidates won outright, while the remaining six are heading to runoff elections in November.

This is a dramatic change from 2022, when only five of the governor’s 30 endorsed candidates suffered defeat.

Though Florida’s school board elections are nonpartisan, conservative candidates have nabbed endorsements from Republicans like DeSantis and groups such as Moms for Liberty. State Democrats and the Florida Education Association have rolled out endorsements to their preferred candidates, as well.

Florida Democrats endorsed 11 candidates, and seven of them won, according to a Politico review, with two heading to a runoff election.

Of the four matchups in which Democrats and Republicans went head-to-head, Democrats won two and DeSantis won one, while the other is set to go to a runoff. Book-banning and parents’ role in education, two areas DeSantis has been vocal about, were top of mind for school board candidates.

The 11-candidate loss is the latest setback for DeSantis, who consolidated power through appointments to the Florida Supreme Court and school boards. His allies in the state legislature, reshaped by DeSantis as well, helped pass a law last year that said the governor would not need to resign to run for president.

more
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/state/3129247/desantis-blow-school-board-candidates-lose/

Navigation

[0] Message Index

Go to full version