Key Takeaways
- Voters sent a strong message in Tuesday's elections, veering sharply toward candidates who support public education and programs that help working families.
- NEA members knocked on doors, made calls, and sent postcards to help voters learn about candidates who earned the union's support.
- Many NEA members who ran for office won their races!
The overwhelming takeaway from Tuesday’s elections could not have been clearer: It’s time to counter the chaos and cruelty perpetuated by the Trump administration and those carrying out his agenda in the states and get back to investing in our public schools and our communities.
“For months, Donald Trump and Linda McMahon have aimed their wrecking ball at public schools and our students' futures,” said NEA President Becky Pringle. She pointed to policies “that are swelling class sizes, cutting supports for our students with disabilities, taking away food from hungry kids by cutting critical programs such as SNAP, and diverting resources from public school students to unaccountable and discriminatory private schools through vouchers,” says Pringle.
“Voters said loud and clear: ‘Enough!’
In the months before the election, NEA members took the lead on educating voters about the candidates and the issues at stake for their communities. Volunteering through their union, educators made calls, sent handwritten post cards, talked to their family and friends, and held signs and passed out literature at local events.
That hard work paid off. Here are a few key takeaways from Election 2025 that matter for our students and schools:
Voters want investments in public schools and an end to “culture war” distractions
VIRGINIA: Virginia voters issued the strongest rebuke to the Trump administration and their current governor, Glenn Younkin, a Trump acolyte known for sewing distrust of teachers and launching a short-lived tip line for parents to report “divisive practices” in public schools.
By a whopping 15-percent margin, Virginia voters elected a new governor—former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, who ran on a platform focused on reducing costs for working families and getting politics out of public schools.
Spanberger took a stand for public employees last year when she spearheaded a successful bipartisan effort to repeal the unfair Social Security provisions known as GPO-WEP that unfairly reduced Social Security benefits for some educators and other public servants. NEA advocated for the repeal for more than 40 years.
Former professor and state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi won the race for lieutenant governor with a similar slate of priorities, including affordable housing and healthcare and making public education a priority.
Other candidates recommended by the Virginia Education Association won in districts around the state, leading to big gains for the pro-public schools faction in the state House of Delegates.
“I am so proud of all the work our members did to ensure these important wins for public education and students,” said Carol Bauer, president of the Virginia Education Association. “We door-knocked, spoke to legislators, wrote postcards, and much more. We can accomplish so much when we work together, and we are excited to keep this momentum moving forward.”
NEW JERSEY: New Jersey voters also came out in droves for pro-public education candidates backed by the New Jersey Education Association. U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill—who has spoken out against Trump’s dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education and in favor of mental health supports and ensuring school meals for hungry students—had a resounding victory over her opponent Jack Ciattarelli, a proponent of vouchers and unaccountable charter schools.
Members of the New Jersey Education Association worked tirelessly in support of Sherrill as well as candidates who won an impressive number of seats in the state assembly. Exit polls found that 65 percent of Garden State voters were angry or dissatisfied with the direction of the country and voted accordingly.
SCHOOL BOARD RACES: In 2021 and 2022, many radical conservative Moms 4 Liberty candidates won school board seats and pushed for book bans, anti-LGBTQ policies, and scapegoating teachers. But local educator unions have challenged these candidates at the ballot box in the past few election cycles that trend continued in this year’s elections.
Proof of that trend is abundant in Pennsylvania. in Central Bucks County, the pro-public education slate swept all four races. In Council Rock and Pennridge, pro-public education candidates won three out of four races on both boards of education.
In Cy-Fair, Texas, a community near Houston, three pro-public education candidates backed by the Texas State Teachers Association defeated three conservatives for school board seats. In Houston, two candidates endorsed by the Houston Education Association are in the lead.
In both Iowa and Colorado, an impressive 77 percent of affiliate-endorsed school board candidates won in each state.
Voters don’t want kids to go hungry because of reckless federal cuts
Unprecedented cuts to SNAP, the nation’s largest nutrition program, that phase in over the next decade will mean that many students will no longer automatically qualify for free school meals. The government shutdown poses a more immediate threat to more than 40 million SNAP recipients. While federal lawmakers who hold the majority are failing kids, some voters are looking for ways to make sure students don’t go hungry at school.
In Colorado, voters passed Propositions LL and MM, which will allow the state to use $12.4 million in excess tax revenue to fund a free school meals program rather than returning the “overage” back to taxpayers. Voters overwhelmingly passed the measures, reflecting that making sure kids don't go hungry at school is a top priority. This win will help support the Healthy School Meals for All proposition passed in 2022 to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students as well as healthier foods.
Educators make great leaders—and voters know it!
Educators ran and won in state and local races across the country. These three NEA members won their elections after attending See Educators Run, NEA’s candidate training program. Read on to find out what motivated them to run and what their victories will mean for students.
Clara Martinez, Lansing, Michigan
CAREER: Currently in her ninth year as Dance Director at Everett High School, Lansing School District
ELECTED TO: Lansing City Council
MOTIVATION TO RUN: I want to make our community the best it can be for our students. As an educator, making dance accessible to all students is my passion—I’m not interested in teaching dance only to the elite. I have taught students who were too embarrassed to remove their shoes because they have holes in their socks or bedbugs and they want to hide. Those experiences made me think about how we include all kids in arts education. I know a lot of educators run for school board, but I would have to leave my classroom to do that, so I ran for a seat on the city council. I want to change factors in the community that will positively affect my students, like making sure the parks are clean and the community centers have long enough hours. Winning this seat isn’t just about me—wherever I go, my students are with me.
RESUME HIGHLIGHTS: I have a BFA in dance as well as a master’s degree in social work. I also served in AmeriCorps Vista, which sparked my interest in city politics.
Tracy Dawson, Altoona, Iowa
CAREER: Retired in May after a 38-year teaching career, mostly in 6th grade
ELECTED TO: Southeast Polk School Board
MOTIVATION TO RUN: As a recently retired educator and leader in our local union for the past 15 years, I had seen firsthand what our students, staff, and families need to thrive. Every student deserves a safe school, to receive the attention they need to succeed, and to feel a sense of belonging. Every staff member deserves to work in a safe environment, to receive a salary and benefits that are beyond a living wage, and to be treated as the dedicated, highly qualified professionals they are. Serving on the school board will allow me to continue my life’s work as an advocate.
FAMILY TRADITION: My daughter, Emily, is now in her 6th year as a 7th-grade English-Language Arts teacher at the same school I taught at. We overlapped for one year. It took the students a few weeks to figure out that “old” Ms. Dawson and “young” Ms. Dawson are actually related!
Thom Garrard, Edmonds, Wash.
CAREER: Started in 1983 as an instructional technology coach, taught 4th and 5th grade, spent last 11 years as an elementary school librarian before retiring in 2021.
ELECTED TO: Edmonds School District Board of Directors
MOTIVATION TO RUN: I originally decided to step up because I didn’t want someone who is not supportive of our students to have a seat on the school board. I was appointed to the board over a year ago after a board member resigned. I decided to run for reelection this year for the same reason—after a long career in education, I know our students need well-funded schools, arts and sports as part of the school day, and social emotional learning in a safe environment. I want students to feel well-prepared for what comes next after they graduate, whether that’s a career or a two- or four-year degree.
FAVORITE CAMPAIGN MOMENTS: At first, I was hesitant to canvass, but I really came to enjoy it and ended up knocking on more than 2,800 doors. My favorite campaign event was Banned Books Bingo! As a former librarian, it felt right to take a stand against censorship.
