Marion County School Board: Eric Cummings, Lori Conrad, Sarah James win their races

Marion County voters re-elected incumbent Eric Cummings to a second term in District 3 and two first-time school board members, teacher Lori Conrad in District 2 and pre-school owner Sarah James in District 5, during Tuesday’s primary election.

Cummings, Conrad and James will join school board member Nancy Thrower, who was not opposed in this year’s election, and Vice Chairwoman Allison Campbell, who was elected in 2020.

It will be the youngest school board, based on experience and age, in many years. All three who were elected Tuesday night and Thrower will be sworn into office in November. Cummings serves as the school board chairman.

District 2 race: Lori Conrad, Joseph Suranni compete

District 3 race: Eric Cummings faces challenge from retiree Steve Swett

District 5 race: Educator Sarah James faces business owner Taylor Smith

LIVE ELECTION RESULTS:  See latest results for local and statewide races

Conrad replaces Don Browning, 79, who was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in August 2021. Browning announced in June that he was retiring to spend more time with family.

Browning was selected to replace Beth McCall, who won in 2016 and was unopposed in 2020. She left office in 2021 after she moved out of the district she represented.

Because the appointment of Browning came more than 20 months before the 2024 election cycle, this is a special election in 2022. Conrad’s seat will be on the ballot again in 2024.

School Board races are nonpartisan and elections are countywide, but members must live within the district they represent. Board members serve four-year terms and make an annual salary of $42,627, an amount set by the state.

James replaces Kelly King, a two-term member who believes in term limits and felt it was time for new ideas on the board.

School Board incumbent Eric Cummings wins second term

Cummings, 53, a one-term incumbent, defeated Steve Swett, taking 63.1% of the vote. Cummings received 40,923 votes to Swett's 27,126 to take the District 3 seat, according to the Marion County Supervisor of Elections website.

Before Cummings was elected to the school board in 2018, he had worked for the Florida Department of Corrections since 1994. He has been pastor of New Zion Missionary Baptist Church the past six years.

He also was the pastor of United Missionary Baptist Church in Dunnellon for 10 years and also taught at United Theological Seminary, which is based in Louisiana but has a small campus in Ocala.

Cummings, a 1987 Forest High School graduate, earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Edward Waters College in Jacksonville in 1987 and a bachelor’s degree from United Theological Seminary, both magna cum laude.

Cummings said Tuesday night that he he "is grateful to the community for their support," As to his opponent, he felt Swett ran a good race and he wishes him well.

Swett, 74, is a political newcomer who retired from the United States Postal Service in 2005 after a 34-year career. His last position was postmaster in Dunnellon, from 1994-2005. He was a postal manager in Miami from 1974-1994.

He graduated high school in Miami in 1966, attended what is now Miami Dade College and was in the first graduating class of Florida International University. Swett earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice in 1974.

Swett, who has been married for 52 years and has two grown children, served as a staff sergeant in the U.S. Air Force during Vietnam, leaving the service in 1970 to attend college.

Swett's platform was that the district is rank among the worst in Florida. He felt his life and work experience, coupled with his education and temperament, would best serve the local district, which has 7,000 employees and nearly 44,000 students.

In an interview on Tuesday night, Swett said "the people have spoken and congratulations to Rev. Cummings."

Pre-school owner Sarah James defeats  Taylor Smith in District 5

Pre-school owner Sarah James defeated business owner Taylor Smith for school board in District 5, winning 65% of the vote. James received 44,642 votes to Smith's 24,077 votes, according to the county's elections website.

James worked as a teacher and assistant principal in Marion County Public Schools for seven years and in the private school sector for three more. Recently she decided to purchase a Kid City USA preschool franchise in downtown Ocala.

James earned a doctorate in educational leadership from National Louis University in 2021, a master's degree from the University of Central Florida in 2013 and a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Florida in 2011.

James said on Tuesday night that she is also looking forward to November.

"I feel grateful for the community's support and they trust me to serve them on the school board," she said. "I look forward to creating impactful change starting in November."

Taylor Smith, a horse farm manager and animal breeder who owns Circle T Equine and Foul, volunteers with the Paul Chester Children's Hope Foundation and the Protect Our Children Project.

Smith, who is a real estate investor, horse trainer and a Marion County graduate, could not be reached for comment. James said she also called Smith but was not able to make contact Tuesday evening.

Teacher Lori Conrad defeats dean Joseph Suranni in District 2

Teacher Lori Conrad defeated elementary school dean Joseph Suranni for school board in District 2, winning 72.6% of the vote. Conrad received 49,811 votes to Suranni's 18,829 votes, according to the county's elections website.

Conrad believes that constant changes in curriculum over the years, especially after former school superintendent Jim Yancey retired in 2012, has in part led to the declining state ranking.

Conrad has been a teacher for 27 years. She teaches second grade at Dr. N.H. Jones and was Golden Apple Teacher of the Year finalist in 2012. She earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Saint Leo University in 1991.

Conrad said on Tuesday that she is ready to join the school board, which will come in November.

"We're super excited and looking forward to working with everyone to make Marion County schools the best that they can be," Conrad noted.

Suranni, currently a dean at Belleview-Santos Elementary School, had touted his array of experience and education for why he is the best person to fill Brownings' shoes.

He has spent 16 years in education, first as an exceptional student education teacher at Howard Middle School, and then as assistant principal/dean at Shady Hill, Reddick-Collier and Belleview-Santos elementary schools.

Suranni earned an education specialist degree (EdS) from Saint Leo University in 2009. He also earned EdS degree, an advanced degree for teachers who want to specialize in a particular area, such as leadership, education technology or early childhood.

He earned his master's degree from Saint Leo in 2007, a master's degree in business from Webster University in 2005, and a bachelor's degree from Canisius College (Buffalo, New York) in 2002.

Suranni had touted his school-based experience and his business degree has reasons to pick him for the position.

"Obviously they (the voters) felt her experience was more suited for the job," said Suranni, who said he was shocked by the results.

Joe Callahan can be reached at (352) 817-1750 or at joe.callahan@starbanner.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeOcalaNews.

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Who won seats on the Marion County School Board in 2022 election?