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Incumbent Republican Joyce Rankin appeared likely to keep her seat on the Colorado State Board of Education, even as Democrats maintain their majority with two new members.
Three of the seven seats for State Board of Education were up for grabs, and only one of them featured an incumbent.
In District 1, which includes Denver, Democrat Lisa Escárcega defeated Republican Sydnnia Wulff, an attorney, and two third-party candidates. Escárcega will replace current board member Val Flores, who failed to make the ballot. Escárcega recently retired as the head of the Colorado Association of School Executives and was previously chief accountability officer for Aurora Public Schools.
“I came into this campaign to bring a strong voice for the k – 12 classroom. Thank you to all who are ready to put our students and educators first!” Escárcega posted on her Facebook page late Tuesday night.
In District 3, which covers the western slope, incumbent Rankin, a Republican and former educator, maintained a steady lead against Democratic challenger Mayling Simpson, a former Steamboat Springs school board member. Rankin’s lead was the smallest of the three races.
In District 7, which covers the northwestern suburbs including Jeffco, Democrat Karla Esser, a retired college administrator and education professor, defeated Republican Nancy Pallozzi in the race to replace board member Jane Goff, who has reached the term limit.