Democrats won several seats on the State Board of Education in Tuesday's election, according to the Associated Press. Democrats Thomas Ray Garcia, Coretta Mallet-Fontenot, Allison Bush and Michelle Palmer won their races, along with Democratic incumbent Tiffany Clark. Republican newcomers Kason Huddleston and Mindy Bumgarner also won.
Two seats, District 7 and District 8, were still undecided as results came in Wednesday morning. Democrat Dana Van de Walker led Republican incumbent Audrey Young by fewer than 600 votes, with an estimated 8% of votes still uncounted. In District 8, Republican incumbent Julie Pickren held a slight lead over Democrat Tiffany Perkinz, with a small number of votes still to be counted.
If Republicans keep an 8-7 majority, down from the current 11-4 split, Democrats would still gain significant say on the 15-member board. The board decides what schools teach, which learning materials schools can use, and which charter schools operate in Texas. Upcoming decisions include an overhaul of Texas math standards, approval of social studies textbooks and review of new charter school proposals.