One seat on the seven-member Pinellas County School Board in Florida is up for general election on November 5, 2024. Pinellas County Schools is located in Pinellas County, Florida. The district served 93,702 students during the 2022-2023 school year. The district Elections for two other seats on the board were decided in the August 20, 2024, primary election, when candidates for each received a majority of votes cast. The filing deadline for this election was June 14, 2024.
Florida Politics’ Janelle Irwin Taylor wrote the elections “came at a time when School Boards throughout the nation are being targeted in ways rarely seen in the past.” The group Moms for Liberty has endorsed a candidate in this election, and two affiliated members sit on the Pinellas County School Board. Moms for Liberty’s website says they are “dedicated to fighting for the survival of America by unifying, educating and empowering parents to defend their parental rights at all levels of government.” Heading into the August primary, the school board consisted of a majority of non-Moms for Liberty affiliated members but would have shifted to a majority of Moms for Liberty-affiliated candidates if at least two of their endorsed candidates won. Of three candidates, two affiliated candidates lost in primaries, and one headed to a runoff.
In District 5, Katie Blaxberg and Stacy Geier are running for an open seat. Incumbent Carol Cook is retiring from public office. Geir was endorsed by Moms for Liberty and Blaxberg has received the endorsement of primary opponent, Democrat Brad DeCorte.
Geier is a businesswoman. Geier’s website says she wants to “give parents back their rights through reducing the authority of un-elected bureaucrats,” and “trim the budget of unnecessary spending to improve support for teachers.” Tampa Bay Times’ Jeffrey S. Solochek wrote Geier “says her views align with Moms for Liberty, a group that has gained increasing influence over state and national education policy. In addition to Moms for Liberty, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R) have endorsed her campaign.
Blaxberg is a teacher and former legislative aide to former state representative and Pinellas County Commissioner Christopher Latvala (R). Blaxberg’s website says that she is “a proponent of school choice and understands that one size doesn’t fit every child. Ensuring access to resources, educating parents on the varieties of schools and educational opportunities available to them through the Pinellas County School District, in addition to making the process easier to navigate is a top priority.” The Times’ Jeffrey S. Solochek wrote that Blaxberg “has taken a more expansive view of the parental rights movement, saying it’s important to increase involvement in schools and to not allow a ‘small, very loud minority…take up all the air in the room.’” Incumbent Carol Cook, primary challenger Brad DeCorte, and the local teachers union have endorsed Blaxberg’s campaign.
In addition to Stacy Geier, Ron DeSantis endorsed Danielle Marolf and Erika Picard, both of whom challenged incumbents Laura Hine and Eileen Long, respectively, and lost in the primary. DeSantis said he wanted to support candidates “who have pledged to serve with a focus on student success, parental rights, and curriculum transparency. 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, Pinellas Democratic Party chair Jennifer Griffith endorsed Hine and Long and said, “We’re ensuring we do not get someone supported by Moms for Liberty in our seat. Those school board members stood up for some serious stuff.”
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