Republicans take 2 seats on state education board
Lori Higgins
November 9, 2016
Two Republicans won the two open seats on the State Board of Education, unseating the board's president who was running for re-election and leaving the board with an even split among Democrats and Republicans.
It marks the first time in recent years that Republicans have gained such power on the eight-member board. But it also could foreshadow a tense time ahead given how far apart Republicans and Democrats on the board have been on key issues such as charter schools and school funding.
The election of Trump to the presidency likely helped the Republican candidates.
The winners, according to election results on the Michigan Secretary of State's web site: Republicans Tom McMillin, a CPA from Rochester Hills, and Nikki Snyder, a nurse from Whitmore Lake.
...
Here are the vote totals:
• McMillin, 1,956,063, 23.6% of the vote
• Snyder, 1,917,608, 22.80%
• Austin, 1,909,066, 22.70%
• Ahmed: 1,695,342, 20.16%
Four major-party candidates and seven minor-party candidates were running for the two, eight-year terms on the board. The eight-member board is responsible for setting education policy, advising the Legislature on key issues such as funding and hiring a state superintendent.
Connect With Us