At least four new Democrats won seats on the State Board of Education in the 2026 election. Two races remained undecided as of Wednesday morning, with results still trickling in. Democrats Thomas Ray Garcia, Coretta Mallet-Fontenot, Allison Bush, and Michelle Palmer won, along with incumbent Tiffany Clark. Republicans Kason Huddleston and Mindy Bumgarner won new seats.
Where
Statewide
When
November 3, 2026
Sources
One outlet
Taxes and money
None stated in sources.
Who's involved
Thomas Ray GarciaDemocrat elected to State Board of Education
Coretta Mallet-FontenotDemocrat elected to State Board of Education
Allison BushDemocrat elected to State Board of Education
Michelle PalmerDemocrat elected to State Board of Education
Tiffany ClarkDemocratic incumbent re-elected to State Board of Education
Kason HuddlestonRepublican elected to State Board of Education
Mindy BumgarnerRepublican elected to State Board of Education
Dana Van de WalkerDemocrat leading in District 7 race
Audrey YoungRepublican incumbent in District 7
Julie PickrenRepublican incumbent in District 8
Tiffany PerkinzDemocrat in District 8
The facts
At least four new Democrats won State Board of Education seats.12Stated by 2 sources
Democrat Dana Van de Walker leads Republican Audrey Young in District 7 by fewer than 600 votes with 8% uncounted.12Stated by 2 sources
Republican Julie Pickren holds a slight lead over Democrat Tiffany Perkinz in District 8.12Stated by 2 sources
The State Board of Education has 15 members serving four-year terms.12Stated by 2 sources
Board members determine what schools must teach and which charter schools operate in Texas.12Stated by 2 sources
Current board majority is 11 Republicans to 4 Democrats.12Stated by 2 sources
Republican LJ Francis lost in the March primary in the Rio Grande Valley seat.12Stated by 2 sources
Who said what
These are statements and claims made by the people involved. They are reported, not verified.
Texas Tribune Texas Republicans' dominance over what students learn took a major hit.12
Texas Tribune Democrats will gain significant say in board decisions on math standards, textbooks, and charter schools.12
Where the sources disagree
Whether Republicans will retain a majority on the board Democrats would hold 7 seats and Republicans 6 if Districts 7 and 8 go to Democrats [1,2]; Republicans could hold 8-7 majority if they win both [1,2]
These outlets were found through Google News headlines. Google decides which outlets appear there, and they lean mostly one way, so this sheet can only be as balanced as the reporting it was built from. Leanings are AllSides Media Bias Ratings.
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Julio Salinas, Democratic candidate for Texas House District 41; Gary Groves, Republican candidate for Texas House District 41
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Texas Department of State Health Services, announced closure