Democrats gain control of Texas education board
Unofficial results show a shift from Republican supermajority to Democratic majority, with one race decided by fewer than 600 votes.
By Nathaniel Hayes ·
The Texas State Board of Education lost its Republican supermajority Tuesday night, with Democrats poised to secure eight of the 11 seats. Unofficial results from the Texas Secretary of State indicate a decisive shift in voting power, ending years of one-party dominance over state curriculum and policy.
The most contested race occurred in District 8, where Democrat Dana Van De Walker defeated Republican incumbent Audrey Young by a margin of approximately 500 votes. Young has the option to request a recount given the narrow gap. On Thursday, Van De Walker told followers on social media that she was still processing the outcome while waiting for final vote certification. Young had not responded to comment requests regarding a potential recount as of this writing.
The board manages curriculum, textbooks, and certification standards for more than five million public school students in Texas. It also holds veto power over charter school applications. For several election cycles, Democrats lacked the numbers to block conservative proposals. Now, the chamber will operate alongside a new state education commissioner, as Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa pledged to replace current Commissioner Mike Morath with an educator.
Tricia Cave, a lobbyist for the Association of Texas Professional Educators, noted that the new configuration requires bipartisan cooperation. She stated that finding consensus and compromise is necessary for progress, a dynamic she said has been absent from the board for some time. Republican member Brandon Hall, whose term extends to 2029, vowed to resist the new Democratic agenda. Hall wrote on social media that he would use every procedural tool available to slow down legislation he views as harmful, warning incoming leaders to expect long weeks in Austin.
The board faced scrutiny this summer for curriculum changes that de-emphasized world history in favor of Texas and U.S. history for students in kindergarten through eighth grade. It also approved the Blue Bonnet curriculum, a program for younger grades that incorporated biblical teachings and contained errors that cost taxpayers millions to fix. Houston ISD, the state’s largest district, adopted the curriculum in June and received more than $3 million in funding incentives for the implementation.
The new Democratic caucus includes Thomas Ray Garcia, Corretta Mallet-Fontenot, Allison Bush, Michelle Palmer, and incumbent Tiffany Clark, who won re-election. The three Republican seats will be held by Julie Pickren, Kason Huddleston, and Mindy Baumgarner. This election cycle marked the first time Democrats reclaimed District 2, a seat Republicans had held since the legislature redrew maps in 2022. Conservative political action groups donated heavily to Republican candidates, but only Huddleston secured a victory.
The board approved changes in September that portray Islam in a largely negative light in history lessons, effective for the 2030-2031 school year. These decisions were made under the previous Republican majority, which had grown steadily since 2020 as conservative candidates gained seats in successive cycles.
