Stephanie Vanos, a mom, former lawyer and public schools advocate, has won her race for the nonpartisan Orange County School Board District 6 seat on Tuesday by a mile, handily defeating her opponent in the race, Jeni Grieger.
Vanos, 45, will replace sitting school board member Karen Castor-Dentel, who is running for Orange County Supervisor of Elections and will appear on the ballot for that race this November. Vanos secured 68 percent of the vote, according to county elections data, equal to 20,625 votes as of Wednesday morning. Grieger, a mom and former Seminole County teacher also running for the seat, received just 31.65 percent of the vote, equal to 9,550 votes.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve on the Orange County School Board and humbled by the overwhelming support from the District 6 community,” Vanos told Orlando Weekly in a statement Wednesday. “It is abundantly clear that this community is tired of culture wars in the classroom and wants to keep the focus on what our students need to learn and thrive in high quality, inclusive public schools.”
The district is Democratic-leaning, and the race became contentious as mailers from Democratic groups went out accusing Grieger — a registered Republican — of aligning with Moms for Liberty, a conservative activist group of “joyful warriors” that has advocated for book challenges and anti-LGBTQ+ policies, and has politicized education in lockstep with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis by targeting a fabricated issue of “woke indoctrination” in schools.
Grieger, who largely campaigned on improving student literacy rates, has denied being affiliated with Moms for Liberty. That’s despite having a seemingly friendly relationship with Moms for Liberty-endorsed school board member Alicia Farrant, and sharing policy positions in a candidate survey from a Christian group that align with talking points of anti-transgender activists. Grieger previously denied multiple requests from Orlando Weekly for an interview, but shared email responses that confirmed views listed in the survey.
Vanos, on the other hand, is a registered Democrat, yet earned a wide range of endorsements from organizations ranging from the Orange County Classroom Teachers Association (the local teachers union) to Moms Demand Action, the Equality Florida PAC, the Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association and the Orlando Regional Realtor Association, in addition to endorsements from popular Democratic politicians such as U.S. Congressman Maxwell Frost (who also won his primary Tuesday) and State Rep. Anna Eskamani (who ran unopposed on the Democratic ticket and will face off against Republican Greg Pull this November).
Florida Rising, a statewide group that mobilizes around progressive policies and candidates for office, said in a statement Tuesday night that their group knocked on over 13,000 doors and made over 10,000 calls and 2,000 direct voter contacts for Vanos' campaign.
"For this country to remain number one, reading and having access to historical books has to be a top priority when educating our kids,” said Sheena D. Rolle, chief strategy officer for Florida Rising. "Stephanie Vanos’ election to the Orange County School Board is a win for our community and our children’s future. Vanos is committed to enhancing both reading skills and workforce development for students who may not follow a college-bound path.”
Of the two candidates on the ballot, Vanos dominated in fundraising, campaigning on strong support for public education, as well as building relationships with local businesses and organizations to improve educational opportunities and “bridge funding gaps.”
Vanos, who was backed by the Florida Democratic Party this cycle, also touted a commitment to focusing on issues “students and parents actually care about,” such as the efficient use of public funds, improving district operations and ensuring access to quality academic counseling for students who either wish to enter the workforce after graduation or pursue higher education. She has been vocal about supporting a diverse, inclusive environment for local students in today’s divisive political landscape.
The District 6 race saw a higher turnout altogether than the only other school board seat on the ballot, District 4, which will go to a runoff this fall. The two leading candidates in that race in November are Kyle Roger Goudy, a manager at NBC Universal who received 37 percent of the vote in a three-way race, and Anne Douglas, an elementary school teacher who received just under 33 percent of the vote.
School board members in the Orange County School District — the eighth largest in the nation — serve four-year terms. Two other school board members up for reelection this year, Vicki-Elaine Felder of District 5 and Melissa Mitchell Bird of District 7, ran unopposed this year, and have therefore automatically been reelected.
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