• Gov. Ron DeSantis found success in his endorsements of local school board candidates across the state, with nineteen deemed victorious and six headed to a runoff election 
• Just five endorsed candidates were defeated 
• DeSantis recently embarked on an ‘Education Agenda Tour,’ where the DeSantis team propped up endorsed candidates in an attempt to drum up local support 
• DeSantis claimed that because Ashley Moody and Marco Rubio ran unopposed in their primary elections, the administration was able to hone in on local candidates and races 

Nineteen of the local school board candidates backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis emerged victorious in elections on Tuesday night, with a further six headed to a runoff.

Key DeSantis victories were tallied in Duval and Miami-Dade, of which the latter sees a board makeup flip from liberal-leaning to conservative. The two school boards were notably ones that defied the governor’s mask mandate ban during the pandemic.

DeSantis’ team worked to prop up its endorsed candidates, embarking on a one-day ‘Education Agenda Tour’ this past weekend, appearing on stage alongside candidates. The Governor, along with the school board candidates, touted the DeSantis Education Agenda, which the governor’s Political Action Committee describes as a “student-first, parent-centered initiative focused on setting Florida’s children up for success, ensuring parental rights in education, and combatting the woke agenda from infiltrating public schools.” 

DeSantis during an event in Hialeah remarked that because Attorney General Ashley Moody and Sen. Marco Rubio ran their respective primary races unopposed, it gave the party an opportunity to focus on local draws.

“We want true education and parents want to play a role in the schools,” DeSantis said Tuesday, as reported by Fox News. “We believe in a parent’s bill of rights. We believe that parents have a fundamental role in the education and upbringing of their kids. And as long as I’m governor, the state of Florida is going to be standing with the parents throughout this state.”

Political battles over COVID-19 limits, curriculum limitations, and the rights of parents’ roles in their children’s education have centered on school boards, with DeSantis taking on such issues for his re-election campaign. The governor has taken several steps to impose his vision of education on Florida schools, including his recent signings of the Parental Rights in Education bill, the Parents’ Bill of Rights, and the ‘Stop WOKE Act.’

“Florida has led with purpose and conviction that our school system is about education, not indoctrination. Our education agenda is focused on protecting parental rights, curriculum transparency, and keeping classrooms free of woke ideology,” said DeSantis during his tour. “Across our state, Floridians are ready for local school boards that promote education, not indoctrination.”