Organizing worked in recent local elections. Now the runoffs begin.

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Last week’s school board elections brought a wave of encouraging results for public education advocates across Texas, especially in North Texas, the Austin area, and San Antonio, where voters pushed back against some of the most aggressive culture war candidates and showed, once again, that local organizing still matters. 

Some of the biggest headlines came out of North Texas, where multiple candidates backed by Patriot Mobile and other far-right political groups lost high-profile races after years of controversy surrounding book bans, attacks on educators, and divisive board politics. In places like Keller ISD and Mansfield ISD, voters appeared increasingly frustrated with constant chaos and ideological fights overtaking district governance, signaling a broader shift in communities that had previously been ground zero for hardline school board politics. 

There was good news elsewhere, too. In San Antonio, North East ISD voters elected candidates seen as more supportive of educators and public schools after several contentious years around library policies, curriculum debates, and district governance. In the Austin area, pro-public education candidates also performed well in races tied to concerns over school funding, vouchers, and rapid political polarization in local school board elections. 

In many communities, voters are increasingly rejecting candidates whose campaigns revolve almost entirely around culture war issues and instead are backing candidates focused on school funding, teacher retention, student support, and district stability. However, we can expect rar-right political groups to remain heavily invested in local school board races because they understand how much power those positions hold over curriculum, library policy, hiring, and district priorities. 

Onward to the May 26 Runoff 

While last week brought some clear victories, it also set the stage for several important runoff elections that will shape what comes next. Across Texas, many races remain unresolved, and we’re already shifting into runoff mode, knowing that turnout often drops significantly in these lower-profile follow-up elections. That means organizing, canvassing, phone banking, and direct voter outreach will matter even more over the next several weeks. 

Texas AFT is already involved in several of those efforts. In Austin, educators and community members are mobilizing for candidates like Montserrat Garibay (HD 49) and Allison Bush (SBOE 5), with organizing events and volunteer efforts ramping up ahead of the runoff. The broader goal isn’t just winning individual races but building a state government that is focused on supporting students and educators rather than manufacturing political outrage. 

Runoff elections, can be decided by very small numbers of voters. This is why organizing matters. Texas AFT members and local activists have spent years building relationships in their communities, talking directly with parents and voters, and making the case that public schools work best when educators, families, and communities have a real voice in decision-making. Last week’s results showed what can happen when that work translates into turnout. 

Now comes the harder part: finishing the job in the runoffs. You can find Texas AFT COPE endorsements and learn more about upcoming organizing opportunities here.