Florida in Five: School boards hanging in the balance

Five stories to read from the past week in Florida politics.

Photo credit: Kimberly Farmer

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Welcome to another installment of Florida in Five: Five* stories you need to read from the past week in Florida politics.

The most remarkable result of last month’s primary election was the nearly statewide rejection of right-wing School Board candidates who use public-school classrooms as culture-war battlefields.

It was particularly evident in the candidates endorsed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the activist group Moms for Liberty, who have worked hand-in-hand to censor LGBTQ+ and racially sensitive content in public schools. Between them, DeSantis and Moms for Liberty endorsed nearly 30 candidates around the state — and far more of their preferred candidates lost than won.

But a bunch of them wound up in runoffs that will appear on the November ballot. And some of these carryover School Board races could have enormous consequences.

In Miami-Dade County, for example, a pair of runoffs will ultimately determine partisan control of the nation’s 6^th largest school district — a district that has lurched sharply to the right since DeSantis orchestrated a MAGA makeover.

So here’s a quick look at 10 significant School Board races that Florida voters are about to decide:

1. Miami-Dade County (District 7)

   For my money, this is the single most intriguing — and consequential — School Board election in all of Florida. The incumbent is Mary Blanco, a guidance counselor at an all-girls Catholic school who was appointed by DeSantis last year and is now running for re-election with the governor’s support. The challenger is Maxeme Tuchman, a teacher and tech entrepreneur endorsed by the Florida Democratic Party, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and the state’s largest teachers union.

2. Miami-Dade County (District 3)

   The second pendulum-swinging seat in Miami-Dade pits Joe Geller, a former Democratic state representative, against Martin Karp, a former School Board member who is the dean of private Jewish schools and recently changed his registration from Republican to no party affiliation.

3. Pinellas County (District 5)

   There may not be a better example of moderate conservatism vs. MAGA extremism than this race, in which Katie Blaxberg, a former legislative aide supported by moderate Republican leaders in Pinellas County, is squaring off against Stacy Geier, a cabinet contractor who is one of three School Board candidates on the November ballot endorsed by both DeSantis and Moms for Liberty.

4. Brevard County (District 4)

   After Brevard County Republicans redrew School Board boundaries to oust the board’s lone Democratic member, this race could leave the Brevard board about as far right as it gets. Incumbent Matt Susin, another candidate endorsed by both DeSantis and Moms for Liberty, faces Ava Taylor, a Navy veteran and electrician endorsed by Florida Today.

5. Lee County (District 7)

   This is the third race in which DeSantis and Moms for Liberty have explicitly teamed up. Their candidate, marketing executive Vanessa Chaviano, is squaring off with Sheridan Chester, a substitute teacher supported by the local Democratic Party.

6. Clay County (District 2)

   It’s hard to imagine a more MAGA-sounding candidate than the Moms for Liberty-backed Robert Alvero, a firefighter and member of the DeSantis-run Florida State Guard, who says his top priority is the “indoctrination and sexualization of our children” and boasts that “I can also identify Marxist and Communist ideas a mile away.” His opponent is Jim Hughes, a retired Clay County teacher and coach.  

7. Hernando County (District 4)

   Michelle Bonczek a former substitute teacher, faces Mark Cioffi, the owner of an aviation software business endorsed by DeSantis. This race also stands out for the number of Republican lawmakers in Tallahassee helping to finance Cioffi’s campaign.

8. Volusia County (District 4)

   Donna Brosemer, a retired education lobbyist endorsed by DeSantis, faces Carl Persis, the incumbent School Board member who has been on the board since 2016.

9. Duval County (District 5)

   Reggie Blunt, a retired Army vet endorsed by Moms for Liberty, is running against Hank Rogers, a nonprofit executive backed by the state’s largest teacher union.

10. Seminole County (District 3)

    Stephanie Arguello, a nonprofit consultant, is one of two School Board candidates in runoffs endorsed by the Southern Poverty Law Center, which has become a counterweight to Moms for Liberty. She’s challenging Abby Sanchez, the current board chair and a board member since 2016.

These School Board races are yet another reminder that there is much more at stake this November than the presidential race. There are critical races up and down the ballot in communities across Florida.

They are also another reminder of the importance that you and everyone you know Make a Plan to Vote on or before Nov. 5. (And why you should find ways to support local news, which are usually the only outlets that independently cover these races.)

*To paraphrase Barbossa, five is more what you’d call a guideline than an actual rule.

But Ron DeSantis says he didn’t know

Inside 3 private meetings where veterans group pitched JD state park golf course plan (Treasure Coast News) ($)

See also: Florida forestry official questioned DeSantis-backed swap of state forest to golf company (Tampa Bay Times) ($)

See also: 17 more Florida state parks were considered for golf courses, lodge, pickleball (Tampa Bay Times) ($)

This was always the plan

Arrests of Miami-Dade's homeless residents skyrockets since new law (WLRN)

What lawfare looks like

DeSantis leans on the power of state government to defeat abortion on the ballot (Miami Herald) ($)

See also: DeSantis administration cites rejected signatures to justify abortion amendment probe (Axios Tampa Bay)

See also: 'Women should have the right to choose': Florida men make calls to turn out the vote for abortion rights in November (Orlando Weekly)

Where you may find actual election fraud

DeSantis allies plot another state attorney scheme (Orlando Sentinel) ($)

See also: Lawsuit alleges plot to run sham candidate so DeSantis appointee can win election (Associated Press)

See also: Worrell, Bain trade barbs in Orange-Osceola state attorney debate as lawsuit looms (Orlando Sentinel) ($)

The cost of inaction

As temperatures increase, so do utilities, and Floridians are struggling to pay the bill (Tallahassee Democrat) ($)

See also: He pays $2,000 a month for a hotel room, and he can’t afford to move (Tampa Bay Times) ($)

Perspectives

Politics undermines Florida's public colleges and universities (Palm Beach Post) ($)

Ron DeSantis and the arrogance of power (South Florida Sun-Sentinel) ($)

Polk County’s growing pains show what’s ahead for the rest of Florida (Florida Phoenix)