ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange County residents on Tuesday voted to re-elect two school board members: chairperson Teresa Jacobs and District 1 member Angie Gallo.
The District 3 and 4 races were too close to call, meaning the two top candidates in each of those races will compete in run-off elections this November.
Maria Salamanca and Heather Ashby will compete for the District 2 position, while Alicia Farrant and Michael Daniels will face off in District 3. All four candidates have ties to OCPS, either as alumni themselves, or via their children or other family members.
Salamanca, an OCPS grad originally from Colombia, ran on a campaign prioritizing fair pay increases for veteran teachers, and less focus on cultural and political issues in the classroom.
Salamanca’s runoff opponent, Ashby, is a former Seminole County teacher and current OCPS counselor whose campaign was endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police. Ashby’s campaign focused, in part, on addressing teacher/bus shortages and enhancing school safety.
In District 3, Daniels’ campaign focused on enhancing diversity and mental health resources in schools, as well as more pay for teachers to increase retention.
Daniels’ run-off opponent, Farrant, is also addressing teacher pay, pushing for annual teacher raises. Farrant supports the Parental Rights in Education bill also known as “Don’t Say Gay.”
Jacobs, who also formerly served as Orange County Mayor and county commissioner, took 69% of the vote, beating out her two opponents. Gallo beat her sole opponent with nearly 63% of the vote.
Here's a rundown of the Orange County School Board candidates currently up for election. (Go here to see a map of the different school board districts.)