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EDlection 2018

The 74’s ongoing coverage of state-level education news, issues and leaders in the run-up to the 2018 elections.

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After Avalanche of Mail-In and Provisional Ballots Swings Close Race, State Assemblyman Tony Thurmond to Become California’s Next State Superintendent

Laura Greanias

After Closely Watched Campaigns, Teachers Notch Wins and Losses — but for Some, the Fight Isn’t Over Yet

Laura Fay

At the State Level, Democrats Had a Good Election Night — but Not a Great One. Did #Red4Ed Fizzle?

Kevin Mahnken

Crusey & Nikkila: Winners in Tuesday’s Election Give Hope That the Pursuit of Equity and Excellence in Education Can Still Succeed

Lea M. Crusey & Jonathan Nikkila

Rotherham: 5 Ways the Midterm Elections Will Have Major Implications for Education Reform

Andrew J. Rotherham

EDlection2018: House’s Longest-Serving Member Holds Off Challenge From Education Activist

Kevin Mahnken

EDlection2018: With Democratic Wins in Statehouse, Colorado Becomes Another Blue Trifecta

Kevin Mahnken

EDlection2018: The Happiest Republicans in the Country — From the Governor’s Mansion to Statehouse — Are in Florida

Kevin Mahnken

EDlection2018: Behind Lamont, Connecticut Dems Make Midterm Legislative Gains

Kevin Mahnken

EDlection2018: Colorado Voters Reject Ballot Measure That Would Have Raised Taxes to Fund Schools

Beth Hawkins

EDlection2018: Abrams Waits on Uncounted Ballots in Georgia Governor’s Race

David Cantor

EDlection2018: Democrat Wins Tight Governor’s Race in Connecticut, Turns to State’s Tough Finances

Kevin Mahnken

EDlection2018: Newark Voters Decide on Elected, Not Appointed, Board to Oversee Schools Now Returned to Local Control

Beth Hawkins

EDlection2018: Nevada Democrats Win State Senate, Have Universal Control of State Government to Change Landmark 2015 GOP Reforms

Carolyn Phenicie

EDlection2018: Michelle Lujan Grisham Will Be New Mexico’s Next Governor, Promises a Rollback of Her Predecessor’s Education Reforms

Beth Hawkins

EDlection2018: In Wisconsin, Walker Loses Bid for Third Term, Despite Self-Branding as ‘Education Governor’

Kevin Mahnken

EDlection2018: Janet Mills Will Be Maine’s First Female Governor

Beth Hawkins

EDlection2018: Republican Mike DeWine Weathers ECOT Closure, Extends GOP’s Grip on Ohio Statehouse

Kevin Mahnken

EDlection2018: Sisolak Elected Nevada’s First Democratic Governor in 2 Decades, With Plan to Bolster Education Spending

Mark Keierleber

EDlection2018: Kristi Noem Becomes South Dakota’s First Female Governor on Promise to Reward ‘Rockstar Teachers’

Mark Keierleber

EDlection 2018: Republican Kim Reynolds Becomes Iowa’s First Female Elected Governor, After Term Addressing Mental Health, STEM

Kate Stringer

EDlection 2018: Washington State Legislature Increases Blue Majority, Dems Hope to Pass Capital Gains Taxes for Education

Kate Stringer

EDlection 2018: Utah Voters Reject Gasoline Tax Intended to Increase Ed Spending

Laura Fay

EDlection2018: Republicans Keep Control of U.S. Senate, Setting Countdown Clock on Alexander’s Chairmanship

Carolyn Phenicie

EDlection2018: Democrat Gretchen Whitmer Is Elected Governor in Michigan, Opening the Door to Possible Charter Sector Reforms

Kevin Mahnken

EDlection2018: Minnesota’s Governor-Elect Tim Walz, a Former Teacher, Campaigned on the Most Traditional of Democratic Education Platforms

Beth Hawkins

EDlection2018: Oregon Voters Keep Sanctuary State Status

Esmeralda Fabián Romero

EDlection2018: New Mexico Voters Approve Bonds to Buy School Buses and Improve Schools and Libraries

Esmeralda Fabián Romero

EDlection2018: Republican Hawley Defeats Democrat McCaskill for Missouri Senate Seat as Dems’ Margin in Chamber Shrinks

Carolyn Phenicie

EDlection2018: Gavin Newsom Easily Wins Governor’s Race in California, Which He Vows to Make ‘a State of Results and of Refuge’

Esmeralda Fabián Romero

EDlection2018: DeSantis Squeezes by Gillum to Win Florida Governor’s Race, Will Work to Expand School Choice and Ensure More Spending Gets to Classrooms

David Cantor

EDlection2018: Wyoming Elects Republican Gordon as Governor as State Focuses on Education Funding

Mark Keierleber

EDlection2018: Jared Polis Becomes CO Governor as Democrats Flip Control of State Senate. Will Unified Control Change Face of State’s Ed Reforms?

Kevin Mahnken

EDlection2018: Vowing to Arm Teachers and Fund Private School Vouchers, Ted Cruz Squeaks Past Beto O’Rourke to Hold On to Texas Senate Seat

Beth Hawkins

EDlection2018: Massachusetts Voters Affirm Anti-discrimination Law in Ballot Referendum, a Victory for Transgender Students

Mark Keierleber

EDlection2018: South Carolina Voters Reject Proposal to Allow Governor to Appoint State Schools Chief

Carolyn Phenicie

EDlection 2018: Republican Gov. Doug Ducey Wins Re-election in AZ After Promising Teacher Raises

Laura Fay

EDlection2018: Republican South Carolina Gov. McMaster Wins, Looks to Increase Police in Schools, Expand Charter Schools

Mark Keierleber

EDlection2018: Wisconsin Re-elects Tammy Baldwin, Democratic Member of HELP Committee, to Senate

Carolyn Phenicie

EDlection2018: Democrat Laura Kelly Projected to Win Kansas Governor Race, With Promise to Fully Fund Schools

Kate Stringer

EDlection 2018: Indiana Hands Republican Challenger Braun Senate Victory Over Incumbent Donnelly, Implications for Undocumented Students

Mark Keierleber

EDlection2018: Cuomo Wins Third Term as New York Governor, Will Face Unrest Over School Funding Inequities and Segregation

David Cantor

EDlection2018: Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo Re-elected on a Post-Parkland School Safety Platform

Beth Hawkins

EDlection 2018: Maryland Incumbent Gov. Larry Hogan Projected Winner, Will Help Lead State’s New Direction in Education

Kate Stringer

EDlection2018: Pritzker Wins Illinois Governor’s Race, Will Face Chronic School Funding Inequities

David Cantor

EDlection2018: Republican Lee Wins TN Governor’s Race, Will Oversee State’s Ed Reform Legacy

Carolyn Phenicie

EDlection2018: Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf Re-elected in PA After Touting Increased Ed Spending, Strong Backing by Teachers Union

Laura Fay

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

The 74

Midterm Exam: 12 Teacher Candidates Reflect on the Campaign Trail — and Why They’re Running

Laura Fay

Countdown to EDlection2018: As Midterms Approach, Here’s What the Latest Polls Show in 16 Key Races With Big Stakes for Schools

Carolyn Phenicie & Kevin Mahnken

October Education Surprise: New Front-runner in MN Attorney General Race Is Lawyer Who Sued Schools Over Transgender Bathrooms

Beth Hawkins

School Safety Tops Young People’s List of Election Concerns. But Will It Lead Them to Vote?

Carolyn Phenicie

Fate of Nevada’s Landmark Ed Reforms Could Hinge on Outcome of Four State Senate Races

Carolyn Phenicie

Unleashing the Youth Vote: Meet Power California’s Luis Sánchez, Who Hopes to Bring 200,000 New Young Voters to the Polls

Esmeralda Fabián Romero

California’s Campaign for State Superintendent Costs More Than Most Senate Races. Here’s Why

Kevin Mahnken

From ESA Expansion to School Safety Bonds: The 12 Education Ballot Questions Voters Will Consider on Nov. 6

Carolyn Phenicie

South Carolina Voters Will Soon Elect State K-12 Chief — and Decide If They Should Never Do It Again

Carolyn Phenicie

Riding a Blue Wave, Democrats Are Poised to Win the Michigan Governor’s Race — and Deal a Blow to DeVos’s Education Legacy

Kevin Mahnken

Even as New California Poll Reveals Parents of Color See Schools as Top Election Priority, State’s Only Gubernatorial Debate Mostly Ignores Education

Laura Greanias

As Tennessee Voters Prepare to Elect New Governor, a ‘Pivotal Moment’ for State’s Bipartisan Reforms on School Standards, Teacher Quality, Turnarounds

Carolyn Phenicie

Threading the Needle on School Reform in TX Senate Race

Beth Hawkins

With Both Parties Vying for Complete Control of Connecticut’s Statehouse and Governor’s Mansion, the Midterms Could Shape State’s Education Priorities for Years

Kevin Mahnken

Election Preview: Kansas’s Supreme Court Wants the State’s Schools Fully Funded, but the Two Candidates Vying for Governor Have Very Different Ideas About That

Kate Stringer

Gov. Andrew Cuomo Handily Defeats Cynthia Nixon in Primary That Saw Other Progressive Democrats Surge, Could Impact Charter Support in State Senate

David Cantor

WI Senator and Senate Education Committee Member Tammy Baldwin in Increasingly Tight Race Targeted by Republicans

Carolyn Phenicie

#EDlection2018: In Connecticut Primaries, Acclaimed Teacher Jahana Hayes Handily Wins Democratic Nomination for Congress

Kevin Mahnken

Troubled Student, Teen Mom, Teacher of the Year: Is Connecticut Congressional Candidate Jahana Hayes the New Face of the Democratic Party?

Kevin Mahnken

An EDlection Showdown in Maryland: Could a ‘Blue Wave’ Unseat America’s Second-Most Popular Governor — and Reshape the State’s Education Priorities?

Kate Stringer

Colorado Republicans Hold a One-Seat Majority in the State Senate. These Two Democrats Could Flip the Chamber — and Jump-Start State Education Reform

Kevin Mahnken

Congress’s New Education Priorities If Democrats Win the House? Teacher Pay, the Higher Ed Bill, Oversight of DeVos & More

Carolyn Phenicie

Scott Walker Crushed Wisconsin’s Teachers Union. Can He Win a Third Term Against Its Superintendent of Schools?

Kevin Mahnken

Arizona Has Long Been a Testing Ground for Education Reformers. Now Teachers Could Lead an Election-Year Backlash Against Republicans

Kevin Mahnken

Reform-Aligned Jared Polis Wins Democratic Primary for Colorado Governor, Beating Union-Backed Candidate in Race That Focused on Education

Carolyn Phenicie

‘We Just Haven’t Seen a Race Like This’: How Education — and Differing Visions of School Reform — Has Become a Key Issue for Democrats in Colorado’s Governor Primary

Carolyn Phenicie

From the Schoolhouse to the Statehouse: These 7 Teachers Are Running for Office to Say ‘No More’ to Slashed Education Funding

Laura Fay

Packed Oklahoma Gubernatorial Race Fueled by Political Turmoil of Teacher Walkouts, Diverging Views on Education Priorities

Kate Stringer

Laxalt & Sisolak Win Nevada Primary for Governor, Setting Up Race That Will Focus on Dismal Education Rankings, Funding of Education Savings Accounts & Teacher Salaries

Kate Stringer

As Economy Hums, South Carolina Governor’s Race Focuses on Underwhelming Education System

Brendan Lowe

With California’s Would-Be ‘Education Governor’ Eliminated in the Primary, Focus on State’s Schools Shifts to Nation’s Top Superintendent Battle

Mario Koran

Where Education Did (and Didn’t) Matter in California’s Primary: Newsom & Cox Advance in Gubernatorial Race, Reformer Tuck Leads Thurmond for Superintendent

Laura Greanias & Mario Koran

California’s Surprising Primary: 6 Ways This Year’s Races for Governor & Superintendent Resurfaced a North-South Divide in Education Politics

Mario Koran

#EDlection2018: California State Superintendent Candidate Marshall Tuck on School Turnarounds, Effective Teachers, and Student Achievement

Laura Greanias

#EDlection2018: Meet the 4 Candidates Running in Tuesday’s Primary for California State Schools Superintendent

Laura Greanias

#EDlection2018: California State Superintendent Candidate Tony Thurmond on High-Quality Schools, Early Education, and Help for English Learners

Laura Greanias

Education Issues, Control of the U.S. Senate Loom Large in Florida Senate Race Between Gov. Rick Scott and Longtime Democratic Incumbent Bill Nelson

Carolyn Phenicie

Predicting the Next Wave of Teacher Strikes: Experts See a Whole New Round of Walkouts Come Fall, and a Possible Key Wedge Issue Come Election Night

Kevin Mahnken

With Easy Primary Win, Stacey Abrams Moves Closer to Becoming Nation’s First Black Woman Governor

David Cantor

Teacher Pay, School Lunches, and Choice: South Dakota’s Gubernatorial Candidates Vie to Reshape the Role of Public Education

Mark Keierleber

In State Where Academic Performance and School Funding Rank Near the Bottom, Education Is Top of Mind in Race for Nevada Governor

Brendan Lowe

National Trends Carry the Day in Idaho Governor’s Race

Kevin Mahnken

‘I Will Be the Education Governor’: Former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Recaps K-12 Track Record — and Flags Statewide Education Priorities — at Children’s Forum

Esmeralda Fabián Romero

At Special Children’s Forum, California Governor Candidates Lament State’s Treatment of Kids & Point to Education as the Way Forward

Beth Hawkins

Exclusive Video: California’s Gubernatorial Candidates Talk School Equity, Student Standards & Reprioritizing Education at Children’s Forum

The 74

Gavin Newsom Talks About Education, Children’s Issues Before Los Angeles Forum for Gubernatorial Candidates

The 74

John Chiang Talks About Education, Children’s Issues Before Los Angeles Forum for Gubernatorial Candidates

The 74

Antonio Villaraigosa Talks About Education, Children’s Issues Before Los Angeles Forum for Gubernatorial Candidates

The 74

Delaine Eastin, Vying to Be California’s Next Governor, Talks About Key Children’s Issues Ahead of Special Los Angeles Forum

The 74

From Voters to Donors, Education Emerging as Key Issue in California’s Gubernatorial Primary; While Newsom Leads, Cox & Villaraigosa Fight for 2nd

David Cantor

Braun Scores Upset Victory in Indiana GOP Senate Primary, Besting School Choice Advocates Rokita, Messer

Carolyn Phenicie

Under Shadow of Online Charter School Scandal, Mike DeWine & Richard Cordray Win Primaries in Race for Ohio Governor

Kate Stringer
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