Majority control of State Board of Education remains uncertain after Democratic gains

Texas Republicans’ unrestrained dominance over what students learn in the classroom took a major hit when at least four new Democrats won seats on the State Board of Education.

And with results still trickling in Wednesday morning, the control of the board could also shift. Two seats among the 15-member group — District 7 and District 8 — remain undecided. Democrat Dana Van de Walker leads Republican incumbent Audrey Young by fewer than 600 votes, with an estimated 8% of votes still uncounted. Republican incumbent Julie Pickren holds a slight lead over Democrat Tiffany Perkinz, with a small number of votes still coming.

Not counting those races, Democrats would hold seven seats, while Republicans would occupy six.

No matter what happens in those races, GOP power on the board will look almost nothing like the majority that recently authored an Islamophobic rewrite of social studies lessons, greenlit mandatory Bible readings for all public school students and approved classroom instruction downplaying the horrors of American slavery.

Even if Republicans hold onto an 8-7 majority — down from the current 11-4 makeup — Democrats will gain significant say in board decisions moving forward. Those will include an overhaul of Texas’ math standards, approving social studies textbooks and reviewing proposals for new charter schools.

Democrats Thomas Ray Garcia, Coretta Mallet-Fontenot, Allison Bush and Michelle Palmer won their races, along with Democratic incumbent Tiffany Clark, according to the Associated Press.

Meanwhile, GOP newcomers Kason Huddleston and Mindy Bumgarner won handily.

Members on the 15-person board serve four-year terms, determining what schools must teach, which learning materials schools can choose, which charter schools operate in Texas and overseeing a school fund worth billions.

Three middle-of-the-road Republicans decided not to seek reelection, while the GOP candidates vying to replace them appeared to embrace a disruptive brand of Christian conservative politics that values party loyalty more than bipartisan camaraderie.

A fourth seat serving the Rio Grande Valley was seen as a toss-up, with Republican incumbent LJ Francis losing in the March primary. Francis narrowly won his race in 2022, even though the district had previously leaned Democratic.

Garcia, a Democrat, won this year’s contested race by a wide margin.

Huddleston and Bumgarner of the GOP won two seats currently occupied by the consensus Republicans, but Democrat Michelle Palmer appeared to defeat Republican Tiffany Nelson.

Conservative interest groups invested tens of thousands of dollars into the races. Many of the Democratic candidates hold active classroom experience in either K-12 or higher education.

The right-wing faction of the board has publicly sparred with Texans protesting conservative changes to classroom instruction while challenging Democratic attempts to make that instruction more inclusive. Earlier this year, members in the Republican majority approved the anti-Islamic rewrite of social studies lessons alongside the mandatory reading list for public school students that included Bible passages. A Democratic board member threatened to sue two Republicans who supported those changes, alleging harassment during heated meetings that stretched hours into the early morning.

Members have also fielded complaints about the Texas Education Agency’s error-riddled learning materials, which incorporate Bible teachings into elementary reading lessons. They have debated the merits of a Native Studies course, with some in the GOP majority calling it “junk.” Years before that, they rejected science textbooks over messaging on climate change and walked back opposition to vouchers, which allows families to use taxpayer dollars to fund their children’s private school education.

With Democrat Gina Hinojosa’s victory in Texas’ gubernatorial race, leadership on the education board could also see a shake up. State law allows the governor to appoint the board chair from among elected members, though the selection requires Senate approval.

Texas Republicans will likely maintain control of the state Senate, albeit with Democrat Vikki Goodwin presiding over their affairs. Gov. Greg Abbott appointed Republican Aaron Kinsey to a second term as education board chair earlier this year.