Democrats kept control of Michigan's State Board of Education and picked up seats in Kansas and likely Utah in Tuesday's midterm elections, while Republicans appeared close to tipping Nebraska's evenly divided board their way, according to unofficial returns.
In Michigan, Democratic incumbents Judith Pritchett and Tiffany Tilley finished as the top two vote-getters for eight-year terms. Both were first elected in 2018, and their wins preserve a 6-2 Democratic majority on the eight-member board.
Pritchett drew 27.49% and Tilley 26.21% in unofficial state totals. Republicans Terence Collins, a General Motors senior financial analyst, and Bree Moeggenberg, a licensed child care provider, trailed at 22.03% and 21.49%, with six minor-party candidates also on the ballot.
The board hires and oversees the state superintendent, sets policy for public schools and approves academic standards. Both incumbents put literacy first, and Pritchett said she would focus on carrying out new literacy laws, including one requiring K-5 educators to be trained in the science of reading.
Kansas Democrat flips a seat
Kansas Democrat Amy Diediker, a former elementary teacher from Olathe, took 55% of the vote over Republican Jim McMullen in an eastern district covering much of Johnson and Miami counties. Republican Michelle Dombrosky had held the seat since 2019, and the flip leaves the 10-member board with six Republicans and four Democrats.
Republicans won the other four open seats, all vacated by members who chose not to run again. Amy Cawvey beat Democrat Jennifer Lloyd by 10 points in the northeast; Destry Brown, who spent 42 years as Fort Scott's superintendent, took 69% in the southeast; Jean Clifford won 73% in the largest district; and Alana McWilliams won 63% in central Kansas.
Reading dominated several campaigns. Cawvey called literacy her main priority and also proposed auditing special education spending, while McWilliams, founder of a reading tutoring center for students with learning disabilities, pushed to improve the reading curriculum. Diediker ran on defending public schools.
Kansans understand that simply pouring more money into education without seeing improved student outcomes is not the answer.
Amy Cawvey, Kansas State Board of Education winner
Brown and his Democratic opponent, Heather Guernsey, agreed that the state board, not the Legislature, should set curriculum guidelines. During the 2026 session, lawmakers tried to impose an annual fitness test, a citizenship test, daily recess and lessons on the harms of communist, fascist and socialist regimes.
Nebraska board may tilt right
Nebraska's officially nonpartisan board, now split 4-4 between Republicans and Democrats, could move to Republican control. In Omaha's District 8, Republican Lou Ann Goding led registered nonpartisan Sherrye Hutcherson by 1,883 votes, or 2.4%, early Wednesday and declared victory; Democratic incumbent Deb Neary did not run and had endorsed Hutcherson.
Republicans also won the state's other board races. Incumbent Sherry Jones defeated Democrat Grady Erickson in Grand Island-based District 6, Angie Eberspacher beat Democrat Michaela Conway, who conceded, in District 5, and board President Elizabeth Tegtmeier ran unopposed. New members take office Jan. 7.
A two-month appointment in Utah
In Utah, unofficial returns as of Thursday afternoon showed three of the state board's 15 seats may shift to Democrats, giving the party five seats on a body otherwise dominated by Republicans. Half of the eight seats on the ballot were uncontested.
Utah also swore in Republican Katrina Gibson on Thursday to fill the District 2 seat for two months, until Democrat Kacee Weaver takes over early next year. Former member Joseph Kerry resigned in September and dropped his reelection bid, leaving Weaver unopposed in the district, which includes parts of Weber County such as Ogden and Eden.
State law has the governor choose from three nominees picked by the departing member's party, in this case Republicans, but Gov. Spencer Cox's office said Gibson's was the only application. Gibson, who lost a Weber County Commission bid in June, said she plans to spend her brief tenure listening and learning.
