Republican-turned-Democrat, anti-CRT candidate face off in Texas school board race

A North Texas battle for a seat on the State Board of Education — which sets the pace for what millions of children learn — reflects the broad fight over the direction of the Republican Party and its influence on public education. Tracy Fisher is a lifelong Republican turned off by the culture war rhetoric trumpeted by conservative party leaders. She’s now running as a Democrat in the District 14 race, frustrated by the “ill-will against public schools,” touting her experience as a veteran school board trustee and former public school parent. The Republican nominee, Evelyn Brooks, is leaning into a platform that decries critical race theory and comprehensive sex education. Brooks, whose children were mostly homeschooled, has encouraged voting to “take back our schools for Christ.” She’s secured an endorsement from Gov. Greg Abbott, who has said she would promote Texas family values.

Backlash over perceptions that critical race theory has infiltrated classrooms — combined with tensions over library books and parental rights — is fueling an energized conservative base. Such a focus left more moderate Republicans, who don’t subscribe to a focus on red-meat issues, feeling without a place in the party. So Fisher, like some others, is now seeking one elsewhere. The shift isn’t coming from “traditional Republicans,” Fisher said. “It’s coming from a fringe part of the party that’s taken over with a lot of money.” The dynamic is apparent in other statewide races, too, including the lieutenant governor’s contest, where some longtime GOP members are lining up behind Republican-turned-Democrat Mike Collier. Still, the newly redrawn District 14 — a G-shaped map that stretches from around Wichita Falls down to Killeen, dipping into Denton — is a conservative stronghold. Republicans are expected to hang on to their majority across the 15-member state education board and, likely, move further to the right. Among the other candidates is Julie Pickren, a former Houston-area trustee who was in Washington during the Jan. 6 insurrection, according to local news reports.