Social conservatives get key GOP primary victory in race for influential Texas education board

Social conservatives get key win on Texas ed board

SAN ANTONIO — What millions of students read about science and history could hinge Tuesday on a Republican primary in Texas for several seats on the state board of education, whose decisions affect the content of textbooks sold nationwide.

The conservative Christian bloc that controls the 15-member board won a key early victory when incumbent Ken Mercer defeated Austin attorney Tim Tuggey to stay on the panel, which has unusual clout because textbook publishers have few clients bigger than Texas.

Four other Republican-held seats also were on the ballot. Some races set up unique battles within the GOP, pitting social conservatives against party challengers who believed incumbents pushed pro-religious views too far.

Mercer had nearly 69 percent of the vote with a small handful of precincts reporting. He called his victory a clear sign to “elitist groups” who viewed the race as a chance to purge the board of some of its most far-right members.

“I hope we can keep our conservative posture,” Mercer said. “It’s not anybody’s ideology. It’s just keeping the promises we made.”

Mercer will face Rebecca Bell-Metereau, who was one of four Democrats vying for his District 5 seat, in the November general election. Republican Bob Craig also won a challenge to his District 15 seat, beating Randy Rives.

Among those also seeking re-election is former State Board of Education chairman Don McLeroy, who faced perhaps his most difficult race in his nearly 12 years on the influential panel that sets standards for Texas’ public schools. Lobbyist Thomas Ratliff had a slim lead over McLeroy in early returns.

The elections were the first since the board tackled evolution curriculum in 2008. During that heated debate, which ultimately led lawmakers to oust McLeroy as chairman, the board decided Texas schools would no longer have to teach the “strengths and weaknesses” of evolution. Teachers still would be encouraged to consider “all sides” of scientific theories.

Earlier this year, the board debated social studies curriculum and argued about whether figures such as human-rights activist Cesar Chavez and Thurgood Marshall, the first black Supreme Court justice, had contributed enough to American society to be included.

McLeroy defended the District 9 seat he has held since 1998 against lobbyist Thomas Ratliff, who criticized McLeroy for being too far right.

“We’re not too far any which way,” said McLeroy, a Bryan dentist. “It’s in the middle. We’re in good, clear thinking to help with our schools.”

Ratliff, the son of former Texas Lt. Gov. Bill Ratliff, is among a group of GOP challengers viewed as less partisan on culture-war issues than their incumbent opponents.

The successor to Cynthia Dunbar in District 10 is another closely watched race. Dunbar did not run for re-election after one term, in which she drew the most attention for having a book published in which she said public schools were a “subtly deceptive tool of perversion.”

Dunbar has endorsed Austin attorney Brian Russell, who faces educators Rebecca Osborne and Marsha Farney in the Republican primary. The winner will face educator Judy Jennings, who has no Democratic opponent in the primary.

Democrats Rene Nunez and Lawrence Allen Jr. are the two Democratic incumbents running for re-election, though Allen is unopposed in both the primary and general election and will serve a second four-year term.

No Democrats filed to run for McLeroy’s seat in the November general election.