Langford-Fleming, Fisher and Jordan win Lee County School Board seats

The results are in. Sam Fisher, Debbie Jordan and Jada Langford-Fleming have been elected to the Lee County School Board.

Fisher won with nearly 52% of the vote, while Jordan received nearly 56% and Langford-Fleming got nearly 52% of the vote.

Four of the seven school board seats in Lee County were up for grabs this year, with Armor Persons beating out incumbent Gwynetta Gittens in the primary election for the District 5 seat.

District 6 was the only at-large race, which meant that anyone in the county could vote for the winner.

Lee County School Board members make $40,500 a year and serve staggered four-year terms and oversee more than 90,000 students.

Florida election 2022: See results from Lee County voting

Florida election 2022 live updates: Polls open in Lee County

Previously: Candidate profiles: Lee County School Board Districts 1, 4 and 6

District 1: Fanny v. Fisher

The District 1 seat put newcomers Kathy Fanny and Sam Fisher against each other. Fisher won the seat.

"I'm feeling very good. I'm really excited for students, staff and teachers here in the county," Fisher said Wednesday morning. "I'm excited for the board. We're gonna have a good group and I'm looking forward to really putting our kids first."

District 1 encompasses the southern and western areas of Cape Coral. Both candidates reside in Cape Coral.

Prior to Hurricane Ian, Fisher said his top priorities were to have board members spend more time listening to parents, provide transparency in the budget and make potential financial cuts to administration and transportation budgets to raise teacher and bus driver salaries.

He also wants to institute the Guardian Program, which was enacted after the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. The program empowers schools to employ and train teachers and other employees to carry guns in schools as well as hire school safety officers.

Following Hurricane Ian, Fisher said the top priority was to recover. The main points he made included making sure schools are safe and have the services they need, repairing and rebuilding schools and making sure lost instruction time is made up.

"We've been through so much lately with the hurricane, especially in our areas, the devastation," Fisher said Wednesday. "I'm really looking forward to getting in there and helping our students, teachers and staff make sure we're getting everyone back in schools and handling anyone who's displaced and dealing with those issues."

Fanny, a retired teacher, raised $10,283 for her campaign and spent $9,030. Fisher, a small business owner and attorney, raised $69,452 and spent $64,895.

District 4 Jordan v. Severson

The District 4 seat election put incumbent Debbie Jordan against newcomer Dan Severson. Jordan won the seat.

"I was so grateful for the number that came in," Jordan said Wednesday morning. "I just felt so honored that people came out, they voted, and they had the confidence in me to let me come back for four more years."

District 4 encompasses Central Fort Myers, North Fort Myers and Eastern Cape Coral. Jordan is a Fort Myers resident while Severson resides in Cape Coral.

Jordan, who works in hospitality management, raised $18,510 for her campaign and spent $15,387. Severson, who is a retired state legislator, raised $49,295 and spent $41,606.

Prior to Hurricane Ian, Jordan's top priorities were teacher retention and recruitment, expansion of educational opportunities for students and advocating for resources that help deal with the growth of student population.

After the hurricane, Jordan said getting up and running is the top priority. She expanded to say the top priorities regarding recovery are to evaluate schools and damages, get ready to rebuild and help the displaced get what they need.

Jordan said Wednesday she's excited to continue to do the work she's done the past four years and get the district back to full working order after Hurricane Ian.

District 6 at-large Nystrom v. Langford-Fleming

The District 6 at-large race pitted newcomers Denise Nystrom against Jada Langford-Fleming. Langford-Fleming won the seat.

"It feels great. I am honored to have earned the votes of Lee County." Langford-Fleming said of her win Wednesday morning. "It's kind of surreal. I put in a lot of hard work... for over a year and it's paid off and I'm just thrilled."

District 6 at-large encompasses the entire county, which means anyone in the county could vote for them. Nystrom lives in Bonita Springs while Langford-Fleming resides in Fort Myers.

Langford-Fleming's top priorities are to rein in spending to protect tax dollars, school safety by implementing the Guardian Program and retaining teachers.

In regards to Hurricane Ian, she said getting everyone back to school was her top priority but also noted getting heavily damaged schools reopened, repair and rebuild schools, and giving students the tools they need to catch up.

She said she's most excited about helping the children in Lee County.

"They deserve the very best education and I'm ready to roll up my sleeves and help out in that capacity," she said Wednesday. "Also helping out making sure that I'm serving not just the children but the families of Lee County and also our wonderful educators. I'm just ready to get to work."

Langford-Fleming, a personal trainer, raised $130,437 and spent $112,107.  Nystrom — who is a retired teacher, superintendent and special education administrator — raised $68,415 and spent $49,766.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Election: Here's who won a seat on the Lee County School Board