Texas’ State Board of Education now has an 8-7 Democrat majority, with the final race called following Tuesday night’s General Election.
The flipped seats were formerly held by members LJ Francis, Will Hickman, and Audrey Young. Neither Francis nor Hickman were on the November 3 ballot. Republicans Victoria Hinojosa and Tiffany Nelson ran for their seats.
A total of nine seats were up for re-election. Six were held by Republicans and three were held by Democrats.
The remaining four Republican and two Democrat seats were not on the ballot this cycle.
The SBOE is responsible for setting state curriculum standards, reviewing and adopting instructional materials, establishing graduation requirements, and providing final review of rules proposed by the State Board for Educator Certification.
Over the summer, the board passed new required reading lists and Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills standards for K-12 social studies. The standards have received praise for upholding “solid American and Texan values,” and the reading lists included a focus on classical literature, scripture passages, and historical documents.
