Two Republican primaries for the Texas State Board of Education are on the ballot for the May 28 runoff elections, including the District 12 race that includes parts of Dallas and Collin counties.
Early voting begins Monday, May 20, and runs through the week. The primary runoff elections will determine the candidates for the Nov. 5 general election.
The State Board of Education’s responsibilities include setting public school curriculum standards and reviewing and adopting instruction materials. It recently delayed discussions on a new Native American studies course and has become more conservative in recent years. Ten out of the board’s 15 members are Republicans. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott appointed Aaron Kinsey, a Midland Republican and business leader, as chairman last year.
The races on May 28 include:
District 12
Pam Little, the Republican incumbent and the board’s vice chair, is running against Jamie Kohlmann in the runoff election in the district that represents a swath of North Texas that includes Collin and Parker counties and parts of Dallas and Tarrant counties. Little, a businesswoman, has been on the board since 2018.
Little said if reelected she wants to review math standards and what students learn at each grade in social studies classes, implement guidelines for how to review instructional materials and expand career and technology courses.
“I’m the better candidate because of my experience,” Little said.
Kohlmann, a real estate agent, wants to ensure that the state’s schools are “equipped with rigorous TEKS” and “instructional materials that align with Texas values,” according to her responses for The Dallas Morning News’ Voter Guide .
“We need to focus on getting back to the basics and reclaim education. We should emphasize empowering parents, improving student outcomes, and removing harmful ideologies from our classrooms,” she said in an email.
The winner will face Democrat George King in the Nov. 5 general election.
District 10
Republican incumbent Tom Maynard, who was first elected onto the board in 2012, is running against Mary Bone for the seat representing parts of central Texas, including Williamson and Bell counties. Some of the largest cities in those districts include Georgetown and Killeen.
Maynard is a former agriculture science teacher and serves as chairman of the committee that oversees the Permanent School Fund.
If reelected, Maynard’s priorities include ensuring students are not exposed to inappropriate content in class and reviewing social studies Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, or TEKS, which are state standards for what students should know in different subjects, according to his campaign website.
Bone is a member of the Round Rock ISD school board, just northeast of Austin. Her term is set to end this year. If elected, she pledged to work to improve student achievement and ensure parents have access to all materials being presented in schools, according to her campaign website.
The winner of the May 28 runoff will face Democrat Raquel Saenz Ortiz, Green Party candidate Daniel Caldwell and Libertarian candidate Gerald McAlexander. It’s unclear if McAlexander will be on the ballot. He currently shows up as a candidate on the Texas Secretary of State website but a line notes that he did not pay filing fees.
To be considered for nomination by convention, Libertarian and Green Party candidates must submit either a filing fee or a petition that is delivered to the Secretary of State office or to the county judge. If they fail to do so, they may be considered ineligible to run.
The DMN Education Lab deepens the coverage and conversation about urgent education issues critical to the future of North Texas.
The DMN Education Lab is a community-funded journalism initiative, with support from Bobby and Lottye Lyle, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, Dallas Regional Chamber, Deedie Rose, Garrett and Cecilia Boone, The Meadows Foundation, The Murrell Foundation, Solutions Journalism Network, Southern Methodist University, Sydney Smith Hicks and the University of Texas at Dallas. The Dallas Morning News retains full editorial control of the Education Lab’s journalism.