Palm Beach County School Board election results: Karen Brill, Erica Whitfield will return

Palm Beach County voters chose two incumbents as winners in school board elections Tuesday. A third incumbent missed the threshold to win the race outright by just 2%, and will go to the general election on Nov. 8 along with two other runoff candidates vying for a now-vacant seat.

In a landslide victory, 11-year incumbent Karen Brill beat out three other candidates with 68.8% of the vote. She will represent Boynton Beach and Delray Beach for another term.

Her three challengers, parental rights advocates Conner Frontera, Bailey LaShells, and Krista Marie Stevenson, got 8.9%, 7.8% and 14.3% of ballots cast, respectively.

Voters decided another school board seat Tuesday: Erica Whitfield won the district covering coastal West Palm Beach and eastern Delray Beach handily over Angelique Contreras. Since there were only two candidates in Whitfield's contest, the race was not ever going to advance to the general election.

But two other races hang in the balance as none of the candidates garnered more than 50% of the vote.

In District 6 covering The Glades and Wellington, 11-year incumbent Marcia Andrews fell just short of winning the race outright with 48.7% of the vote. Candidates needed more than 50% to win.

She will face the next highest vote-getter, Jennifer Showalter, in November. Showalter won 18.1% of the vote.

And in the race for the seat vacated by long-term member Debra Robinson, which represents West Palm Beach and Riviera Beach, Edwin Ferguson will run against Corey Michael Smith in November.

Ferguson earned 43.3% of votes Tuesday ahead of Smith’s 41.5%.

Whitfield and Brill will be sworn in with all new school board members on Nov. 22.

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School boards remain nonpartisan but face increasing political pressure

The Palm Beach County School Board’s seven members set policies and oversee a nearly $5 billion budget for the 10th largest school district in the United States.

In this election cycle, school boards are in the crosshairs of local, state and national politicians, despite the fact that the races are nonpartisan.

Statewide organizations, including the Florida Republican Party’s Build the Bench Committee, have been at work recruiting and training school board candidates. Meanwhile, parents and residents have made their politics known at board meetings as they argue over students' health, safety and education.

After repeated tragedies such as the May 24 shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, and the 2018 mass shooting that killed 17 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, families have debated whether schools should focus more on mental health resources, firearms regulations or physical safety measures on campuses.

And legislation spearheaded by Gov. Ron DeSantis, including laws that restrict certain lessons or conversations on race, gender identity and sexual orientation, have ignited controversies about school curriculum.

Although DeSantis endorsed 30 candidates for school board across the state he deemed to be pro-parent, he did not publicly endorse any running for Palm Beach County board seats.

Here’s who won Tuesday and who will be heading to the general election in November:

Decided: Erica Whitfield for coastal West Palm Beach, eastern Delray Beach

Outspoken "parental rights" activist Contreras ran, and ultimately failed, to unseat Whitfield to represent District 4. Whitfield won 68.3% of the vote Tuesday.

Whitfield, known for her general support of school district leadership, has a master’s degree in public health. Her platform included enacting programs to address student homelessness, support for mental health programs and increasing literacy among Palm Beach County students.

"I'm exceptionally grateful," Whitfield said Tuesday night. "It says a lot about what the school district is doing that so many people support incumbents. I'm really glad to see that the work we're doing and the decisions we've been making have been positive."

Contreras was vocal in her desire to upheave both the district's leadership and its curriculum in favor of parents' rights, aligning with the policies of DeSantis. Contreras was on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol during the insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, although she has never been charged with any wrongdoing.

Whitfield raised $79,621 for her campaign as of Friday. Contreras raised $59,005.

Decided: Karen Brill for Boynton Beach, Delray Beach

Incumbent Brill out-raised her opponents, raking in nearly triple what the others got, and in turn was overwhelmingly chosen by voters to return as the representative for western Boynton Beach and Delray Beach.

The school board veteran is an advocate for students with disabilities and Holocaust education programs.

Brill is a broker associate with The Keyes Company, and said she will focus on keeping schools safe, encouraging parent participation, advocating for teachers, effectively managing the budget, increasing student achievement, closing the "digital divide" and expanding vocational and pre-apprenticeship programs.

"These results show that experience matters when it comes to our children's education," Brill said in a statement issued by her campaign Tuesday night. "I look forward to continuing to serve the residents of District 3. We will celebrate tonight and get back to focusing on the issues tomorrow."

Connor Frontera, Bailey LaShells and Kristen Marie Stevenson failed to push the contest to November.

Brill raised $148,059 for her campaign as of Friday. Stevenson raised $14,360, Frontera raised $13,285 and LaShells raised $2,156.

Undecided: Will Marcia Andrews retake the Glades and Wellington?

Not all incumbents won like Whitfield and Brill.

Andrews, a longtime vocal critic of district officials and 11-year member of the school board, will face a challenge from Jennifer Showalter in the Nov. 8 general election. 

Three other candidates, Jeff Browning, V. Deanne Ewers, and Amanda Silvestri, fell off the ballot after receiving fewer than 20% of the vote.

Andrews, a former principal, said her campaign platform is focused on increasing reading performance among elementary students, addressing unfinished learning caused by the pandemic, expanding mental and behavioral health programs and ensuring student and staff safety.

Showalter, a freelance graphic designer, centers her platform on parental rights. Her top campaign priority is addressing what she calls "the gross overreach and disregard of students, parents and teachers, which has led to ignoring individual and parental rights."

Andrews raised $77,397 for her campaign as of Friday. Showalter raised $21,423.

Undecided: Edwin Ferguson, Corey Michael Smith head to November for for West Palm Beach, Riviera Beach seat

The race to fill Debra Robinson's seat will narrow to two candidates in the November election: Edwin Ferguson and Corey Michael Smith.

Ferguson and Smith are both fathers, husbands and attorneys.

They also share similar goals: improved early education programs, increased support for school district employees, expanded school safety measures and heightened focus on preparing students for careers or new learning opportunities after high school.

Ferguson, who tried to unseat school board member Robinson in 2018, previously worked as a teacher at Suncoast High and Palm Beach Lakes High before attending law school and opening The Ferguson Firm in Riviera Beach. He focuses mostly on real estate and personal injury cases.

Smith, a fellow attorney, said his focus on education law gives him an edge over the competition. He previously worked as associate counsel for the school district, helping with policies related to charter school oversight, students’ due process rights and other issues.

Ferguson raised $117,205 for his campaign as of Friday. Smith raised $55,569.

Christopher Persaud failed to advance beyond Tuesday's primary. He raised $15,449.

Katherine Kokal is a journalist covering education at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at kkokal@pbpost.com. Help support our work, subscribe today!

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Karen Brill, Erica Whitfield to return to Palm Beach County School Board