Texas Dems flip State Board of Education
The gist
Texas Democrats flipped three Republican-leaning districts and are poised to control the 15-member State Board of Education 8 to 7.
The board sets curriculum for over five million Texas public school students.
How it unfolded
- Sep 2026After objections during public comment, the board approved changes to history lessons that portray Islam in a largely negative light, effective for the 2030-2031 school year.
- Nov 3, 2026Democrats swept all statewide races and broke up the Republican supermajority on the 15-member State Board of Education, doubling their seats from four to eight according to unofficial Texas Secretary of State results.
- Nov 4, 2026The board appeared evenly split, with the tie-breaking Houston-area District 8 race too close to call; Democrat Dana Van de Walker led Republican incumbent Audrey Young by fewer than 600 votes with an estimated 8% of votes still uncounted.
Key terms
- supermajority
- A requirement for a proposal to gain a level of support greater than one-half, as opposed to a simple majority.
- charter school
- A publicly funded school that operates independently of the established state school system.
- Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills
- State curriculum standards for Texas public schools from kindergarten through grade 12, detailing requirements for every course.
Source: Wikipedia