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A 2018 EDlection Cheat Sheet: Recapping the 70 Candidates, Races & Winners That Matter Most for American Education Policy

From coast to coast, our team was live Nov. 5-7, offering rolling results, insights, and analysis of 70 key votes that could drive education policy beyond 2020. (Follow our ongoing coverage and analysis at The74Million.org/Election; get the latest news and analysis delivered straight to your inbox by signing up for The 74 Newsletter)

Below is an archive of our rolling live chat that tracked top candidates through Election Night. Further down, you’ll see all the called races we covered that week, as well as the other close contests we’re continuing to monitor.


 


EDlection 2018 — Races That Have Been Called: 

Pennsylvania: Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf is re-elected after touting increased education spending and enjoying the strong backing of teachers unions. (Read our full recap of the results)

Tennessee: Republican Gov. Bill Lee wins the state’s governor’s race, will take over stewardship of the Volunteer State’s 16-year bipartisan education reform effort. (Read our full recap of the results)

Illinois: Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker is named the 43rd governor of Illinois, where he will confront chronic school funding inequities. (Read our full recap of the results)

Maryland: Republican Gov. Larry Hogan is re-elected, and will help lead the state’s new direction on education. Hogan had campaigned on education issues like increasing college access for low-income students, supporting school choice options, and implementing tough academic accountability measures. (Read our full recap of the results)

Rhode Island: Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo is re-elected on a post-Parkland school safety platform. In October, the state’s affiliate of the National Education Association set aside its ire over her past efforts to reform public employee pensions to endorse her bid. (Read our full recap of the results)

New York: Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo wins a third term, but will face unrest over school funding inequities and segregation. (Read our full recap of the results)

Indiana: Republican Sen. Mike Braun wins a close victory against incumbent Joe Donnelly, with big implications for undocumented students. (Read our full recap of the results)

Kansas: Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly is elected with a promise to fully fund the state’s schools. (Read our full recap of the results)

Wisconsin: State re-elects Tammy Baldwin, Democratic Member of HELP Committee, to the Senate, defeating Republican state Sen. Leah Vukmir, who got started in politics after experiencing dissatisfaction with her daughter’s school. (Read our full recap of the results)

Massachusetts: Voters affirm anti-discrimination law in ballot referendum, a victory for transgender students (Read our full recap of the results)

Oklahoma: Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt wins Oklahoma’s top office, stifling Democratic hopes of a teacher #RedForEd victory (Read our full recap of the results)

Texas: Vowing to arm teachers and fund private school vouchers, Sen. Ted Cruz squeaks past Beto O’Rourke to hold on to Texas Senate seat (Read our full recap of the results)

Wyoming: State elects Republican Treasurer Mark Gordon as governor, as state focuses on education funding. (Read our full recap of the results)

Colorado: As Jared Polis emerges as new governor and Democrats flip control of state senate, will unified control change the face of state’s education reforms? (Read our full recap of the results)

Oklahoma: Voters strike down measure to expand how property taxes can fund schools. (Read our full recap of the results)

New Jersey: Voters say “yes” to ballot proposition, and approve $500 million bond to bolster school security (Read our full recap of the results)

Connecticut: Educator and 2016 National Teacher of the Year Jahana Hayes is elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as Connecticut’s first black congresswoman. (Read our full recap of the results)

Arizona: Republican Gov. Doug Ducey is re-elected on a platform including expansion of education savings accounts and a 20 percent pay raise for teachers by 2020. (Read our full recap of the results)

South Carolina: Republican Gov. Henry McMaster wins his bid for reelection, promising to place police officers inside each school and create new charter schools. (Read our full recap of the results)

South Carolina: Voters reject a ballot proposition to allow the governor to appoint the state schools chief. (Read our full recap of the results)

Florida: Republican Ron DeSantis squeaks past Democrat Andrew Gillum to win the governor’s race, vowing to expand school choice and make sure more spending gets to the classroom. (See our full recap of the results)

Missouri: Republican state Attorney General Josh Hawley defeats Democrat Claire McCaskill for the Senate. (See our full recap of the results)

California: Lt. Gov. and former San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, easily wins the governorship, backed by the powerful teachers union and promoting his “California Promise,” a cradle-to-career vision for public education. (See our full recap of the results)

Arizona: Voters defeat ballot proposition on universal education savings accounts. (See our full recap of the results)

New Mexico: Voters approve bond measures to buy school buses and improve schools and libraries. (See our full recap of the results)

Oregon: Voters keep first-in-the-nation sanctuary state status. (See our full recap of the results)

Michigan: Democrat Gretchen Whitmer wins governor’s race, opening door to possible charter sector reforms. (See the full recap of the results)

Minnesota: Democrat Tim Walz, a former teacher, becomes governor-elect running on the most traditional of education platforms. (See the full recap of the results)

U.S. Senate: Republicans retain control, giving Lamar Alexander his last shot as HELP Committee chairman to rewrite the Higher Education Act before he approaches party-initiated term limits as the head of the panel. (See the full recap of the results)

Utah: Voters reject gasoline tax intended to increase education funding. (See the full recap of the results)

House of Representatives: Democrats take control, placing Rep. Bobby Scott, long an advocate for civil rights and juvenile justice, in line to lead the Education and the Workforce Committee and setting an agenda focused on early learning, college costs, teacher pay, and Education Department oversight. (See the full recap of the results)

Washington: Democrats increase majority in state legislature, hope to pass capital gains taxes to fund education. (See the full recap of the results)

Iowa: Republican Kim Reynolds becomes the state’s first female elected governor, with focus on student mental health and STEM education. (See the full recap of the results)

Georgia: Voters approve amending the state constitution to allow the largest school district in a county to call for referendums on new sales taxes earmarked for education. (See the full recap of the results)

South Dakota: Republican Rep. Kristi Noem becomes the state’s first female governor on a promise to reward “rockstar teachers.” (See the full recap of the results)

Maryland: Voters approve a ballot proposition requiring the governor to dedicate revenues from the state’s six casinos to K-12 education funding. (See the full recap of the results)

Nevada: Clark County Commission Chairman Steve Sisolak becomes the state’s first Democratic governor in two decades, with plans to bolster education spending. (See the full recap of the results)

Idaho: Republican Brad Little is projected winner of governor’s race, with plans to support vocational training and early education. (See the full recap of the results)

Ohio: Republican Attorney General Mike DeWine defeats Democrat Richard Cordray, a former senator, congressman, and lieutenant governor, for governor despite perceived GOP ties to a shuttered online charter school. (See the full recap of the results)

Maine: Democrat Janet Mills becomes the state’s first female governor, promising to increase the state’s share of school funding and block lifting the 10-school cap on public charter schools. (See the full recap of the results)

Rhode Island: Voters approve $250 million bond for school infrastructure improvements after a 2017 report revealed the Ocean State needs $500 million to bring the quality of its schools to at least “minimal standard.” (See the full recap of the results)

Wisconsin: Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers, a Democrat, denies Republican Scott Walker a third term as governor. (See the full recap of the results)

New Mexico: Michelle Lujan Grisham becomes the nation’s first female Democratic Latina governor, promising a rollback of her predecessor’s education reforms. (See the full recap of the results)

Minnesota: Democratic Rep. Keith Ellison wins attorney general seat, edging out a Republican who sued schools over LGBT student rights. (See the full recap of the results)

Nevada: Democrats win the state Senate, gaining universal control of state government to change landmark 2015 GOP education reforms. (See the full recap of the results)

Idaho: Republican Sherri Ybarra is re-elected as schools superintendent in close race. (See the full recap of the results)

New Jersey: Newark voters decide on elected, not appointed, board to oversee schools now returned to local control. (See the full recap of the results)

Connecticut: Democrat Ned Lamont wins governor’s race, faces tough state finances driven in part by skyrocketing retirement costs for teachers. (See the full recap of the results)

Govs and Supes: Taking stock of the governor and superintendent races that are key for important K-12 issues like funding, school choice, school safety and ESSA implementation. (See the full recap of the results)

Connecticut: Democrats expand statehouse majorities. (See the full recap of the results)

Colorado: Voters reject ballot measure that would have raised taxes to fund schools. (See the full recap of the results)

Texas: Four Democrats, three Republicans elected to state’s 15-member Board of Education. (See the full recap of the results)

Florida: Democrats unable to make a dent in the GOP’s hold on the state legislature. (See the full recap of the results)

Colorado: With Democratic wins in the statehouse, Colorado becomes another blue trifecta. (See the full recap of the results)

Alaska: House’s longest-serving member holds off challenge from education activist. (See the full recap of the results)


Too Close to Call:

Arizona: State superintendent race between charter school advocate and public school educator down to less than 1% of the vote. (See the full recap)

California: Education reformer Marshall Tuck has a narrow lead in an extremely close race for state superintendent in one of the most expensive school chief contests in history. (See the full recap of the results)

Florida: Republican Gov. Rick Scott narrowly leads Democratic incumbent Sen. Bill Nelson, with a recount likely. (See the full recap)

Georgia: Democrat Stacey Abrams waits on uncounted ballots in governor’s race. (See the full recap)

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