Despite Charged 2022 Races, No State Boards of Education See Flip in Partisan Control

Alexandria, VA – Politically charged education issues roiled many 2022 races for seats on state boards of education, yet none of the boards flipped partisan control, according to a postelection analysis from NASBE. The report outlines key results and take-aways from major state races and 63 state board of education seats on the ballot in 12 states and territories.

“New state board members will take office during a time of unprecedented federal investments in education and take responsibility for translating those investments into improvements for students,” write NASBE’s Abigail Potts and Joseph Hedger. “Building relationships will be a key to success.”

Potts and Hedger outline outcomes from major state races and changes in 63 state board seats in 12 states and territories that were on the ballot:

• Thirty-five incumbent state board members were reelected to 12 state boards, with 28 newcomers joining state boards in 2023.
• Redistricting that strongly affected state board elections in five states, including Colorado, which added two seats to the state board—an eighth district and an at-large seat—and Texas, where all 15 board seats were on the ballot.
• Twenty-seven out of 28 incumbent governors on the ballot were reelected, and nine newcomers were elected total, with political parties flipping in Arizona, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Nevada. In all four, the governor appoints the state board of education.
• Of the seven state education chiefs on the ballots, two incumbents were reelected, three incumbents lost, and two newcomers filled open seats.
• West Virginia and Kansas voters rejected amendments to their state constitutions that would have given the legislature stronger authority over education policies. California voters passed funding for music and arts education. Colorado voters passed a ballot measure to create and fund a universal free meals program for all public school students.

“As the season of election politics ends, new state board members must now shift their focus to the hard work of governing education systems,” write Hedger and Potts. “They will need to rely on data, evidence, and a coalition of passionate education supporters to help them do so effectively.”

Read and share Education Drives State and Federal Elections in 2022.

NASBE serves as the only membership organization for state boards of education. A nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, NASBE elevates state board members’ voices in national and state policymaking, facilitates the exchange of informed ideas, and supports members in advancing equity and excellence in public education for students of all races, genders, and circumstances. Learn more at www.nasbe.org.

###