Texas' State Board of Education now has an 8-7 Democratic majority, with the final race called after Tuesday night's General Election, according to Texas Scorecard. The flipped seats had been held by LJ Francis, Will Hickman and Audrey Young. Republicans Victoria Hinojosa and Tiffany Nelson ran for their seats.
A total of nine seats were up for re-election. Six were held by Republicans and three by Democrats. The board is responsible for setting state curriculum standards, reviewing and adopting instructional materials, and establishing graduation requirements.
Over the summer, the board passed new required reading lists and Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills standards for K-12 social studies. The reading lists include a focus on classical literature, scripture passages and historical documents.