Key race for influential Texas ed board remains tight, social conservatives notch a victory

Key influential Texas ed board race remains tight

SAN ANTONIO — Pivotal state education board races in Texas that could shape what millions of students read in textbooks nationwide remained tight early Wednesday, including that of a prominent conservative Christian struggling to keep his longtime seat.

Hundreds of votes separated former board chairman Don McLeroy and challenger Thomas Ratliff with only a handful of precincts uncounted. A McLeroy loss would weaken the powerful social conservative bloc of the 15-member board, which has unusual clout because textbook publishers have few clients bigger than Texas.

But social conservatives claimed a key early victory in another race. Ken Mercer soundly beat Austin attorney Tim Tuggey to survive his GOP primary challenge, and will face Democrat Rebecca Bell-Metereau in the November general election.

Mercer had nearly 69 percent of the vote with nearly all 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.”

Another social conservative challenger, Brian Russell, forced an April runoff with educator Marsha Farney. They will vie for the District 10 seat of outgoing board member Cynthia Dunbar, who drew the most attention in her single, four-year term by writing that public schools were a “subtly deceptive tool of perversion.”

Dunbar is another of the seven conservative Christians currently on the board who have secured majorities when picking up votes from one of three other Republicans or five Democrats.

One of the board’s moderate Republicans fell in an upset. Geraldine Miller, who had served as the District 12 member since 1994, lost to George Clayton. With most precincts reporting, Clayton had 52 percent of the vote over Miller, one-time board chairwoman.

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 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.

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.