FLORIDA DEMOCRATS’ TAKE BACK LOCAL CANDIDATES WIN BOARD RACES ACROSS FLORIDA
TALLAHASSEE, FL — Last night, Florida Democrats celebrated victories in local races across the state, including the defeat of Moms for Liberty candidates and a DeSantis appointee in school board races.
“Last night, Floridians made their voices heard in school board races across our state, electing leaders who will put students, parents, and teachers first,” said Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried.
“For years, Ron DeSantis and extremist groups like Moms for Liberty have tried to turn our public schools into political battlegrounds, pushing book bans, censorship, and divisive policies instead of fixing the real challenges facing our students and educators. Florida families want school boards focused on the basics: fully funding neighborhood schools, paying teachers a living wage, keeping kids safe, and ensuring every child has access to a quality public education.
“Through our Take Back Local program, we’ve made strategic investments in competitive school board races, giving candidates the resources, organizing support, and voter outreach they needed to win. These victories demonstrate the importance of competing at every level of the ballot and building strong local leadership across Florida.”
Florida Democrats celebrated the following Take Back Local wins on Tuesday:
* – Indicates Incumbent
^ Indicates red to blue flip
+ Indicates targeted seat retained
+ Christina Romelus, Palm Beach County School Board, District 4
^ Daniela Simic, Hillsborough County School Board, District 2
*+ Debra Jordan, Lee County School Board, District 4
+ Hunter Miller, Alachua County School Board, District 1
*+ Karen Perez, Hillsborough County School Board, District 6
^ Kimberly Coward, Pasco County School Board, District 1
+ Flo Entler, Sarasota City Commission
About the Florida Democratic Party’s Take Back Local Program
Launched in March 2024, Take Back Local backs Democratic-aligned candidates in competitive local races, from school boards to city halls to county offices. Candidates earn a spot through a competitive application and vetting process, then receive direct funding, help with targeting, messaging, and voter data, and Party-run voter contact through canvassing, phone banking, and vote-by-mail outreach. Across 10 cohorts, program candidates have won 70% of their races.
That record includes Eileen Higgins, who in December 2025 became the first Democrat elected Miami mayor in nearly three decades (and the first woman ever to hold the office), winning by more than 19 points; Andy Thomson, who flipped the Boca Raton mayor’s office by just five votes in March 2026; and Keith Givens, who became the first Black member of the Maitland City Council. In 2024 school board races, 7 of 11 Take Back Local candidates won, compared with just 6 of 23 DeSantis-endorsed candidates.