Politics

Conservative PACs inject millions into local school races

Published

4 years ago

October 11, 2022

(Daniel A. Varela/Miami Herald via AP, File)

As Republicans and Democrats fight for control of Congress this fall, a growing collection of conservative political action groups is targeting its efforts closer to home: at local school boards.

Their aim is to gain control of more school systems and push back against what they see as a liberal tide in public education classrooms, libraries, sports fields, even building plans.

Once seen as sleepy affairs with little interest outside their communities, school board elections started to heat up last year as parents aired frustrations with pandemic policies. As those issues fade, right-leaning groups are spending millions on candidates who promise to scale back teachings on race and sexuality, remove offending books from libraries and nix plans for gender-neutral bathrooms or transgender-inclusive sports teams.

Democrats have countered with their own campaigns portraying Republicans as extremists who want to ban books and rewrite history.

At the center of the conservative effort is the 1776 Project PAC, which formed last year to push back against the New York Times’ 1619 Project, which provides free lesson plans that center U.S. history around slavery and its lasting impacts. Last fall and this spring, the 1776 group succeeded in elevating conservative majorities to office in dozens of school districts across the U.S., propelling candidates who have gone on to fire superintendents and enact sweeping “bills of rights” for parents.

In the wake of recent victories in Texas and Pennsylvania — and having spent $2 million between April 2021 and this August, according to campaign finance filings — the group is campaigning for dozens of candidates this fall. It’s supporting candidates in Maryland’s Frederick and Carroll counties, in Bentonville, Arkansas, and 20 candidates across southern Michigan.

Its candidates have won not only in deeply red locales but also in districts near liberal strongholds, including Philadelphia and Minneapolis. And after this November, the group hopes to expand further.

“Places we’re not supposed to typically win, we’ve won in,” said Ryan Girdusky, founder of the group. “I think we can do it again.”

In Florida, recent school board races saw an influx of attention — and money — from conservative groups, including some that had never gotten involved in school races.

The American Principles Project, a Washington think tank, put a combined $25,000 behind four candidates for the Polk County board. The group made its first foray into school boards at the behest of local activists, its leader said, and it’s weighing whether to continue elsewhere. The group’s fundraising average surged from under $50,000 the year before the pandemic to about $2 million now.

“We lean heavily into retaking federal power,” said Terry Schilling, the think tank’s president. “But if you don’t also take over the local school boards, you’re not going to have local allies there to actually reverse the policies that these guys have been implementing.”

In a move never before seen in the state, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis endorsed a slate of school board candidates, putting his weight behind conservatives who share his opposition to lessons on sexuality and what he deems critical race theory. Most of the DeSantis-backed candidates won in their August races, in some cases replacing conservative members who had more moderate views than the firebrand governor.

The movement claims to be an opposing force to left-leaning teachers unions. They see the unions as a well-funded enemy that promotes radical classroom lessons on race and sexuality — a favorite smear is to call the unions “groomers.” The unions, which also support candidates, have called it a fiction meant to stoke distrust in public schools.

In Maryland’s Frederick County, the 1776 group is backing three school board candidates against four endorsed by education unions. The conservatives are running as the “Education Not Indoctrination” slate, with a digital ad saying children are being “held captive” by schools. The ad shows a picture of stacked books bearing the words “equity,” “grooming,” “indoctrination” and “critical race theory.”

Karen Yoho, a board member running for re-election, said outside figures have stoked fears about critical race theory and other lessons that aren’t taught in Frederick County.

The discourse has mostly stayed civil in her area, but Yoho takes exception to the accusation that teachers are “grooming” children.

“I find it disgusting,” said Yoho, a retired teacher whose children went through the district. “It makes my heart hurt. And then I kind of get mad and I get defensive.”

In Texas, Patriot Mobile — a wireless company that promotes conservative causes — has emerged as a political force in school board races. Earlier this year, its political arm spent more than $400,000 out of $800,000 raised to boost candidates in a handful of races in the northern Texas county where the company is based. All of its favored candidates won, putting conservatives in control of four districts.

The group did not respond to requests for comment, but a statement released after the spring victories said Texas was “just the beginning.”

Some GOP strategists have cautioned against the focus on education, saying it could backfire with more moderate voters. Results so far have been mixed — the 1776 Project claims a 70% win rate, but conservative candidates in some areas have fallen flat in recent elections.

Still, the number of groups that have banded together under the umbrella of parental rights seems only to be growing. It includes national organizations such as Moms for Liberty, along with smaller grassroots groups.

“There is a very stiff resistance to the concerted and intentional effort to make radical ideas about race and gender part of the school day. Parents don’t like it,” said Jonathan Butcher, an education fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation.

The foundation and its political wing have been hosting training sessions encouraging parents to run for school boards, teaching them the basics about budgeting but also about the perceived dangers of what the group deems critical race theory.

For decades, education was seen as its “own little game” that was buffered from national politics, said Jeffrey Henig, a political science and education professor at Columbia University’s Teachers College who has written about outside funding in school board elections. Now, he said, local races are becoming battlegrounds for broader debates.

He said education is unlikely to be a decisive issue in the November election — it’s overshadowed by abortion and the economy — but it can still be wielded to “amplify local discontent” and push more voters to the polls.

Republicans are using the tactic this fall as they look to unseat Democrats at all levels of government.

In Michigan, the American Principles Project is paying for TV ads against the Democratic governor where a narrator reads sexually explicit passages from the graphic novel “Gender Queer.” It claims that “this is the kind of literature that Gretchen Whitmer wants your kids exposed to,” while giant red letters appear saying “stop grooming our kids.”

Similar TV ads are being aired in Arizona to attack Sen. Mark Kelly, and in Maine against Gov. Janet Mills, both Democrats.

Central Florida News

State Rep. Bruce Antone Wins Reelection Unopposed

Published

14 minutes ago

June 12, 2026

Willie David

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN NEWS) — Florida State Representative Bruce Antone has won reelection to the Florida House after qualifying for the 2026 election cycle without opposition.

Antone, who represents portions of Orange County, remains the longest-serving Democratic state lawmaker in Orange County and one of the most senior members of Florida’s Democratic legislative delegation.

Following his reelection, Antone thanked supporters in a statement posted on Facebook.

“Today, I was reelected to the Florida House of Representatives. I didn’t have any opposition. Thank you to everyone who has supported me during my time and tenure in the Florida House of Representatives,” Antone wrote.

Under Florida election law, candidates who qualify for office without opposition are automatically elected and do not appear on the ballot.

Antone will begin another term in the Florida House as lawmakers prepare for the 2027 Legislative Session in Tallahassee.

Florida

Alan Grayson Returns to Politics, Eyes Cory Mills’ Congressional Seat

Published

11 hours ago

June 12, 2026

FNN NEWS

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. (FNN) — Former U.S. Congressman Alan Grayson, one of Florida’s most recognizable Democratic firebrands, has entered the race for Florida’s 7th Congressional District, setting up what could become one of the state’s most closely watched congressional contests of 2026.

Grayson’s late entry adds a high-profile name to the Democratic primary as the party seeks to unseat incumbent U.S. Representative Cory Mills. The race is expected to generate significant political attention and sharp contrasts between Democrats and Republicans heading into the August primary and November general election.

THE RETURN OF A DEMOCRATIC FIREBRAND

Among Democrats, Grayson remains known for his outspoken criticism of Republican leaders and his combative political style. Supporters view him as a proven campaigner and effective debater who built a national profile during his time in Congress.

Grayson was first elected to Congress in 2008, representing Florida’s 8th Congressional District. After serving one term, he was defeated by a Republican challenger in 2010. He returned to Congress in 2012 after winning election in Florida’s 9th Congressional District and served two additional terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.

ETHICS QUESTIONS SURROUND INCUMBENT

Mills enters the race while facing ongoing scrutiny related to ethics matters.

The Office of Congressional Ethics previously investigated Mills and reported that government contracts had been awarded to entities owned by Mills since January 2024. In November 2025, the House Ethics Committee established an investigative subcommittee to examine allegations involving potential fraud and two reported incidents involving Mills’ conduct toward women.

Mills has denied wrongdoing.

DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY TAKES SHAPE

Grayson joins a Democratic field that includes former Navy nuclear reactor plant supervisor Marialana Kinter and former NASA’s Chief of Staff Bale Dalton.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has identified Florida’s 7th Congressional District as a top target in Democrats’ effort to regain control of the U.S. House of Representatives and backed Dalton.

REPUBLICAN CHALLENGERS EMERGE

On the Republican side, former FOX 35 news anchor Ryan Elijah, businesswoman Sarah Ulrich, and self-described “Reagan Republican” Don Johnson are challenging Mills in the Republican primary.

LOOKING AHEAD

With Grayson’s entry, Florida’s 7th Congressional District is poised to become one of the state’s most competitive and closely followed races. The contest now features a well-known Democratic firebrand, an incumbent facing ethics scrutiny, and multiple challengers from both parties seeking to capitalize on voter dissatisfaction and shifting political dynamics.

Florida’s primary election is scheduled for Aug. 18, 2026.

#AlanGrayson #CoryMills #FL07 #FloridaPolitics #CongressionalRace #Election2026 #Democrats #Republicans #SeminoleCounty #FloridaNationalNews

Florida

Former State Representative Daisy Morales officially qualifies for Florida House District 43 race

Published

3 days ago

June 9, 2026

FNN NEWS

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) — Former Florida State Representative Daisy Morales has officially qualified to run for Florida House District 43, launching a People First Campaign focused on affordability, public safety, economic opportunity, education, and responsive government.

Morales, who represented Florida House District 48 from 2020 to 2022, enters the race with a legislative record that continues to benefit Floridians. During her first term, she sponsored and supported legislation that became state law, helping veterans, seniors, individuals with disabilities, consumers, small businesses, and working families.

“Floridians are struggling with rising costs, housing affordability challenges, skyrocketing insurance premiums, and economic uncertainty,” Morales said. “I am running because the people deserve a representative who puts their needs ahead of politics and delivers real results.”

House District 43 includes portions of East Orlando and communities previously represented by Morales before Florida’s 2022 redistricting process.

A Record of Results

As a freshman lawmaker, Morales sponsored legislation that was enacted into Florida law, including:

• HB 13 (2022) — Expanded property tax relief for qualifying widows, widowers, blind persons, and permanently disabled Floridians.

• HB 45 (2022) — Helped close gaps in federal G.I. Bill educational benefits for veterans and military families.

• HB 213 (2022) — Created Florida’s first Down Syndrome specialty license plate.

• HB 855 (2021) — Expanded workforce opportunities through barber services reform.

• HB 857 (2021) — Strengthened consumer protections against harassing telemarketing calls.

Morales also sponsored House Resolution 8069, recognizing April 2 as Puerto Rican Heritage Day in Florida.

Leadership During Crisis

During her term, Morales became known for advocating for residents during the COVID-19 pandemic, calling for additional government response, addressing affordability concerns, organizing food distributions and job fairs, and helping families access critical resources and services.

“Leadership matters most during difficult times,” Morales said. “Public service is about helping people when they need it most.”

Proven Electoral Success

In 2020, Morales won both the Democratic primary and general election for Florida House District 48. She successfully campaigned on a message of community-focused leadership and practical solutions for residents.

“The people deserve a strong voice in Tallahassee,” Morales said. “This campaign is about putting people first and delivering results that improve everyday life.”

People First Agenda

If elected, Morales said her priorities will include:

• Affordability and cost-of-living relief

• Public safety initiatives

• Workforce and economic development

• Veterans and military family support

• Senior services

• Consumer protection

• Educational opportunities

Morales also announced plans to reintroduce legislation establishing a statewide Active Shooter Alert System and pursue additional affordability-focused measures aimed at helping Florida families.

“For more than 30 years, my mission has remained the same: put people first,” Morales said. “Together, we can build a stronger future for East Orlando, Lake Nona, and communities across Florida.”

Daisy Morales and Samuel Vilchez Santiago are currently the only Democrats who have filed to run for Florida House District 43. On the Republican side, Robert Prater has entered the race, along with write-in candidate Areeb Gulzar.

The seat is being vacated by incumbent State Rep. Johanna López, who is running for the Orange County Commission.

Candidate qualifying runs from June 8 through June 12, meaning additional candidates may still enter the race before the filing deadline.

Florida’s primary election is scheduled for Aug. 18, 2026, with the general election set for Nov. 3, 2026.