Thanks to the efforts of Governor Ron DeSantis, many school board districts flipped red in Tuesday’s primaries.
With the support of Mom’s for Liberty and the 1776 Project Pac, at least 21 out of 30 DeSantis-endorsed candidates won their races, including four out of seven candidates who defeated facing democrat-backed opponents. Four of the nine who did not win still have a chance to win through a runoff.
According to the Washington Post, these wins change majorities from blue to red in four school districts, potentially impacting over half a million students.
DeSantis supported these candidates as being both student-first and anti-indoctrination.
Today is Election Day for crucial school board races across our state. Florida has led with purpose and conviction that our school system is about education, not indoctrination.
These 30 candidates are committed to the student-first principles of the DeSantis Education Agenda. pic.twitter.com/chcwY3r5Vo
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantisFL) August 23, 2022
This aligns with DeSantis’ broader movement to protect parental rights in education. While school boards are technically non-partisan affairs, they’ve become a hotbed for political bias, from COVID-19 policy to Radical Gender Theory, a political reality to which DeSantis continues to respond.
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In the aftermath of the elections, DeSantis went on Tucker Carlson, celebrating the wins and elaborating on the political importance of ‘non-partisan’ school board races.
“This is part of how we’re educating voters to make sure that we have people on those school boards who want to educate kids not indoctrinate kids and that are going to be reflective of the values of the communities that they serve.”
Florida Gov Ron DeSantis: "…we have people on those school boards who want to educate kids, not indoctrinate kids, and that are going to be reflective of the values of the communities that they serve." pic.twitter.com/52Dk8o2NhI
— Apex World News (@apexworldnews) August 25, 2022
Many on Twitter celebrated the wins and their belief that school boards were never neutral.
It would be best if school boards were non-political but the left and the woke & pedo crowd have forced the issue. Floridians want to know what they are voting for. Often, incumbents are hiding their ideals. We have seen the Pinellas County school board become a disaster.
— Freedom Loving PEEK,🇺🇸🌴🦩🐊🐬🏖 🩴😎✝️ (@DennisP220) August 25, 2022
BREAKING: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis backed 3 conservatives for the Sarasota School Board. All 3 candidates won tonight and the board now has a 4-1 conservative majority instead of the previous 3-2 liberal majority.
Let's all take back our local school boards!
— B.Y.🍊☢️🇺🇸 (@BYLuvJedi) August 24, 2022
Love how “certain” ppl read only headlines to obtain knowledge
~SO many still scream abt“Don’t say gay”BUT they haven’t READ the VERY SIMPLE bill🙌The Ppl spoke&flipped 5 liberal county School Boards!
💥secret “transitions”🤯 of FL kids was enuf 2 Do it!
— “Parry” kindly (@JPWPB) August 25, 2022
DeSantis endorsed Bridget Zeigler, who recently won her election in Sarasota County, and lauded DeSantis’ approach to education to The Daily Wire as well.
“Governor DeSantis realizes how important education is. … I think Governor DeSantis shined a light on the school boards; the reality is that you have people across the country and in the state who are engaged and aware that we are fed up.”
Additional stories you may want to read:
‘ALL WIN’S’: Trump-Endorsed Candidates All Win Their Primaries in Florida
‘We are war moms’: Moms for Liberty battles school boards across US
