Candidates backed by DeSantis, Dems face off for Tampa Bay school board seats
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Florida's increasingly partisan school board politics are taking center stage in Tampa Bay at next Tuesday's primary election.
Why it matters: School board members have a hand in everything from budgets to cellphone policies and deciding which books are age-appropriate.
The big picture: Gov. Ron DeSantis last month endorsed 23 school board candidates across the state.
- A week later, the Florida Democratic Party announced 11 "Take Back Local" school board candidates who would receive extra support from the party.
Driving the news: Two races in Hillsborough County pit those candidates against each other.
- In District 1, which represents Northwest Hillsborough, DeSantis-backed political newcomer Layla Collins — wife of state Sen. Jay Collins (R) — is challenging FDP-endorsed incumbent Nadia Combs.
- In District 3, which represents Northeast Hillsborough, Democrat-backed incumbent Jessica Vaughn faces DeSantis-endorsed Myosha Powell.
- DeSantis and the FDP haven't endorsed candidates in Districts 5 and 7.
Zoom in: Collins also landed an endorsement from U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R) and has raised almost double Combs' cash haul.
- Combs told the Tampa Bay Times last year that she expected Collins to raise "an obscene amount of money." She managed to edge out Republican Steve Cona, who also outspent her, in 2020.
- Vaughn faced a particularly brutal challenge from fellow Democrat Bonnie Lambert, who has since dropped out. She now leads Powell in fundraising by a 3-1 margin.
Catch up quick: School board elections have grown far more partisan in recent years as DeSantis and state lawmakers sparred with local officials over how to handle the COVID-19 pandemic in schools.
- As the pandemic waned, the focus shifted to regulating curriculum and books, with the DeSantis Administration and conservative parent groups like Moms for Liberty targeting LGBTQ+ and racial issues.
- DeSantis endorsed a slate of school board candidates ahead of the 2022 election. The vast majority won, flipping school boards in Sarasota and Duval counties to conservative majorities.
The intrigue: Voters will have a chance in November to approve Amendment 1, a ballot initiative that would make school board races partisan in future elections.
- The proposed measure, sure to be overshadowed by amendments aiming to restore abortion access and legalize recreational marijuana, needs at least 60% to pass.
Zoom out: Across the bay in Pinellas, three candidates are working together to flip the board to a right-leaning majority, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
- They are: Private Christian school owner Danielle Marolf, Palm Harbor University High counselor Erika Picard and business owner Stacy Geier. All three have DeSantis' endorsement.
- The FDP stayed out of Pinellas, opting not to endorse any candidates.
State of play: In District 1, an at-large race that any county resident can vote in, Marolf is challenging incumbent Laura Hine.
- In District 4, which covers residents from northern Clearwater to Tarpon Springs, Picard is running against incumbent and retired teacher Eileen Long.
- Geier is one of three candidates vying for the District 5 seat that's being vacated by longtime board member Carol Cook.
- The other candidates are Tarpon Springs Middle teacher Brad DeCorte and Katie Blaxberg, a one-time aide to former Republican state Rep. Chris Latvala with endorsements from Cook and several local elected officials.