(My great- Aunt and Uncle lived in St. Petersburg, and my sister and I went there to visit. I got to hold a lime, and a grapefruit, attached to trees in their backyard, which was a big deal to a little kid.) Good news for Florida!
By KATE PAYNE Updated 10:28 PM CDT, August 20, 2024
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — School board candidates in Florida backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis were defeated Tuesday in several counties, results that opponents of the Republican say are a rebuke to his conservative education agenda.
Incumbent school board members in one of Florida’s largest swing counties appear to have held off a challenge from candidates backed by DeSantis, according to preliminary results. Activists had hoped that three challengers endorsed by the local chapter of Moms for Liberty would win a conservative majority in Pinellas County, home to St. Petersburg on Florida’s Gulf Coast.
But unofficial results show current school board chair Laura Hine and incumbent member Eileen Long have held on to their seats, after arguing that a political shift on the board could create turmoil in the district and distract from the mission of student achievement.
In a third race for an open seat on the Pinellas board, candidates Stacy Geier and Katie Blaxberg appeared to be headed for a runoff, after no one in the three-way contest cleared 50% of the vote.
With 100% of precincts reporting, Hine, the board chair, carried 69% of the vote over DeSantis-backed challenger Danielle Marolf’s 30%, according to preliminary results. Incumbent member Long brought in 54% of the vote over the 45% netted by Erika Picard, who was also endorsed by the Republican governor.
“We have got to stay focused on that work at hand and not be subject to the social political winds. Education is vital. And it has to be stable,” Hine told The Associated Press ahead of Tuesday’s elections.
In the third race for the board, Stacy Geier garnered 37% of the vote compared to Katie Blaxberg’s 34%, with a third candidate Brad DeCorte netting 28%, according to the county’s preliminary results. Geier was endorsed by DeSantis and the local Chapter of Moms for Liberty, while Blaxberg has argued parental rights activists have gone too far, with some equating books with pornography and labeling teachers as “groomers”. She found herself on the opposing side of the local chapter of Moms for Liberty and was targeted by conservative activists online.
“The misinformation that has been spread by this group of people and the intent to … place mistrust in our teachers,” Blaxberg said, “people are tired of it.”
Much of the political debate in the races had hinged on “parental rights”, a movement which grew out of opposition to pandemic precautions in schools but now is animated by heated complaints over teachings about identity, race and history.
Long, one of the Pinellas incumbents, said she sees the results as an admonishment of the governor.
“People want sanity. People want common sense. And people believe we should educate everyone,” Long said. “The people have spoken.”
Incumbents in Hillsborough County hold off conservative challengers
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Scottie's Playtime 
Hi. I live in Florida and I see a huge backlash to the original gains by the Libs of TikTok and DeathSantis backed culture warriors who want to return the country to 1950 and enforce Christian fundamentalist church doctrine on schools, kids, and society. So for several years now those extremest who want to ban anything LGBTQ+ from schools along with removing anti-bulling programs to help LGBTQ+ kids who are targeted from schools, those people have been losing after they initially won so many school board seats.
Even DeathSantis had to roll back his don’t say gay bill to what was happening normally, claiming in a court settlement it was only to prevent official instruction on how to be gay or trans … like that is a possible thing? Imagine how to instruct someone on either subjects? He agreed it had nothing to do with books and all LGBTQ+ books should be put back in the libraries, he admitted that pride flags and rainbow stickers were OK. He even agreed that talking about being gay or trans was OK and anti-bulling programs would continue. He had to admit that the gay teachers could talk about their families and have pictures on their desks like straight couples. Basically the entire bill got removed after the damage was done, but he still tried to claim victory. Great post, thank you for doing it. Hugs. Scottie
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I thought it was important, As you point out, it is after the fact, but it’s happened, and it turns out that more people are on the side of decency than aren’t. Doesn’t bring back the books, especially the burned ones, and people who went into their closets will have to work their ways back out, but people are aware and ready to support them It just takes time. Justice takes time, which is discouraging, but is fact. It’s better to be proactive, but so many people are good, and don’t believe other people will really do bad things until they do. FL has learned, and this is good.
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Hi Ali. You are correct. I love the post and hope you will do more like it. Fighting for the LGBTQ+ and other marginalized groups is why I started the blog. It is what I love to fight for. I know you are a great voice for the down trodden and abused. Please keep doing what you are doing. I am headed to bed. Thank you again. You are giving me the time and space to help abuse survivors on MS. I am spending 5 hours or more there a day helping people. I get up no later than 3 am often earlier than that. I am now going to bed at 5 pm. I am very tired. Hugs and great thanks. Scottie
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You’re welcome. Sleep. And sleep well.
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