Hillsborough Co. Election Results For Board Of Education Run-Off Race
Most Florida polling places, including those in Hillsborough, closed at 7 p.m. EST on Tuesday, while some counties in the Panhandle are open until 8 p.m. EST because they are in the Central time zone.
In District 7, Karen Bendorf and Lynn Gray are vying for the school board seat.
Florida Politics reported Combs and Vaughn were targeted for defeat by DeSantis and Moms for Liberty. Vaughn told Florida Politics their wins send a message — residents want School Board races to be about schools, not party politics.
District 5 incumbent Henry Washington received about 11,800 votes. Challenger Kenneth Gay received 4,750 votes, Elvis Piggott nearly 2,700 votes and write-in candidates took home more than 270 votes.
The race was closer in District 7 as Gray, the incumbent, received nearly 54,300 votes. Bendorf was her closest challenger with nearly 46,800 votes, while Johnny Bush received more than 38,000 votes and Jen Flebotte took home about 15,400 votes.
Gray and Bendorf, as the top two vote-getters, automatically advanced to a run-off in the general election.
Bendorf, a middle-school teacher, told the Tampa Beacon that her top three issues as a school board candidate are: "1. Empowering parents by ensuring they are aware of what their children are learning and exposed to in the classroom and by ensuring accountability for student behavior and expectations. 2. Improving literacy by instructing children using scientifically based reading disciplines and practices. 3. Accountability in and wise stewardship of the over $4 billion-dollar budget."
