TALLAHASSEE — In what could be the last round of non-partisan school board races in Florida, expect Republicans and Democrats to use school board results in the Aug. 20 primaries to say they have momentum heading into the November general election.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has drawn widespread attention during the past two years for endorsing candidates in school board races. On July 19, he pitched an initial list of 23 endorsements for 2024 races.
“I’m happy to endorse this slate of school board candidates who have pledged to serve with a focus on student success, parental rights, and curriculum transparency,” DeSantis said in a statement. “We want the best for our children, and I’m confident all 23 candidates will build upon the success we’ve had here in Florida.”
In response, the Florida Democratic Party backed 11 candidates. It introduced its list under the title of “Take Back Local” and said the candidates would receive organizational and fundraising support.
“These six candidates and five incumbents represent the best of Florida’s education system and offer a clear contrast to the culture wars Republicans have been waging in our school systems,” state Democratic Chairwoman Nikki Fried said in a statement.
In four races, DeSantis-backed and Democratic Party-backed candidates will go head to head.
In Duval County, the DeSantis-endorsed Melody Bolduc faces Sarah Mannion, who was endorsed by the Democratic Party.
In Hillsborough County, school board members Nadia Combs and Jessica Vaughn are backed by the Democrats, while DeSantis supports Layla Collins and Myosha Powell.
And in Miami-Dade County, Max Tuchman, who is backed by Democrats, is seeking to unseat DeSantis-endorsed incumbent Mary Blanco.
Susan MacManus, a retired political-science professor at the University of South Florida, said the endorsements have raised some awareness of the races, which voters might think are held in November instead of August.
While some of the school board races will move to November for runoffs, most play out in the primaries because they are non-partisan. But voters in November will cast ballots on a proposed constitutional amendment, Amendment 1, that would do away with a requirement that school board candidates run without party labels.
Florida historically had partisan school board elections, but voters passed a constitutional amendment in 1998 to make the races non-partisan.
In 2022, as he ran for a second term, DeSantis supported 30 school board candidates. Nearly all won.
HITTING THE AIRWAVES
A day after Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Debbie Mucarsel-Powell launched a six-figure Spanish-language radio ad statewide, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott countered with a “seven-figure” TV ad buy.
Mucarsel-Powell, a former U.S. House member who faces a more competitive primary than Scott, highlighted her immigration story from Ecuador and criticized Scott, rather than her Democratic primary opponents.
Scott, meanwhile, put up ads in every market in Florida to attack the “socialist agenda” of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
A July 30 poll from the University of North Florida’s Public Opinion Research Lab showed Scott leading Mucarsel-Powell by a margin of 47 percent to 43 percent.
The Florida Atlantic University Political Communication and Public Opinion Research Lab and Mainstreet Research on June 12 put the contest at 45 percent for Scott to 43 percent for Mucarsel-Powell.
WAFFLE MANSION
DeSantis used a post-Hurricane Debby news conference Tuesday at Roy’s Restaurant in Steinhatchee to briefly bring up his family’s fondness for waffles.
After praising businesses like Publix and Waffle House for being able to quickly reopen after disasters, DeSantis diverted into how the availability of Waffle House’s mix put the company on the kids’ menu at the governor’s mansion.
“They got really good batter you can get, and we do it. And my kids, like, loved it. I was like the hero for doing it,” DeSantis said.
About six months ago, DeSantis said he started to bring his three children to an actual Waffle House, where waffles with chocolate chips and whipped cream were a hit.
“They’re big fans of Waffle House. And now they’re asking me if there’s other places like that,” DeSantis said. “And so, maybe we’ll have to go to the International House of Pancakes at some point to be able to meet their needs.”
SOCIAL MEDIA POST OF THE WEEK: “The Florida Legislature has created a catastrophic situation and must urgently hold a special session, as @GovRonDeSantis recommended, to address this man-made crisis. Real estate experts warn of an unprecedented surge in Florida condo listings due to crippling special assessments, forcing desperate owners to sell. Lawmakers need to take immediate action to alleviate this crushing financial burden, that will bankrupt Floridians, especially our seniors, to protect condo owners from this state sanctioned/caused disaster. This is not a drill!” — Former state Sen. Jeff Brandes (@JeffreyBrandes) on problems for condominium owners.