School & District Management

In State Races, Democrats’ Success Sets Stage For New Education Agendas

By Michele McNeil — November 08, 2006 3 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Includes updates and/or revisions.

Democrats shifted the balance of power throughout the states yesterday by taking six governors’ seats from Republicans and retaking control of legislative chambers in seven statehouses, setting the stage for Democrat-leaning education agendas that are likely to focus on boosting public school funding, expanding early-childhood-education programs, and making college tuition more affordable.

After Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr., a Republican, conceded his race to Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley, the Democrats took control of 28 governors’ mansions and Republicans will hold 22. Democrats won open seats in New York, Ohio, Massachusetts, Colorado, and Arkansas.

In State Races, Democrats’ Success Sets Stage for New Education Agendas
House Democrats to Pursue Education Agenda With New Majority
Voters Defeat Funding Measures, But Also Refuse to Restrict Spending
Idaho State Chief’s Race Goes to GOP, While South Carolina Heads for Recount
View election data map.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a Republican who has been active in national education reform and is the incoming chairman of the National Governors Association, eked out a second-term victory in one of the closest gubernatorial races in the country. Only about 16,000 votes separated him from Democratic Attorney General Mike Hatch, out of more than 2 million votes cast.

Since 1994, Republicans have controlled the majority of governors’ mansions; before yesterday’s elections, the GOP held 28 seats, versus 22 for the Democrats.

Democrats also made huge gains in statehouses, switching the balance of power in the House and Senate in both Iowa and New Hampshire, according to the Denver-based National Conference of State Legislatures. Democrats also took control in the House chambers in Minnesota, Michigan, Oregon, and Indiana, and the Senate in Wisconsin.

Democrats now control both legislative chambers in 23 states, and Republicans in 16. In 10 states, the chambers are split between the two parties, according to the NCSL. Nebraska’s legislature is nonpartisan. Before Tuesday’s elections, Republicans controlled both cambers in 20 states, compared with 19 for Democrats.

“The voters expressed a real desire for change, and all in one direction,” said Tim Storey, an NCSL elections expert.

Education Issues in Spotlight

Education played out as one of the most important issues in governors’ races around the country.

In New York, where Attorney General Eliot Spitzer trounced Republican John Faso, school finance played a prominent role. A lawsuit there seeking more money for New York City public schools emerged as a big campaign issue, with Mr. Spitzer pledging to boost funding for the city schools by up to $5.6 billion, phased in over four years.

The Democratic Party
Republican National Committee
National Public Radio
Multimedia: The New York Times
Roll Call
Multimedia: The Washington Post
BBC
Multimedia: Guardian (U.K.)

In Florida, often considered a laboratory for education reform, the governor’s mansion will stay in GOP hands. Republican Attorney General Charlie Crist defeated U.S. Rep. Jim Davis, a Democrat, in a race that was, in some ways, a referendum on current Republican Gov. Jeb Bush’s record on education issues. Having served two terms as governor, Mr. Bush was barred from running again for re-election.

And in Maryland, the poor performance of the Baltimore schools became a key issue in the race between Mr. O’Malley and Gov. Ehrlich, who both appoint members of the city’s school board. However, it was Mr. O’Malley who spent a large portion of the campaign defending the quality of his city’s schools against Mr. Ehrlich’s attacks.

Related Tags:

Events

Artificial Intelligence K-12 Essentials Forum How AI Use Is Expanding in K-12 Schools
Join this free virtual event to explore how AI technology is—and is not—improving K-12 teaching and learning.
Federal Webinar The Trump Budget and Schools: Subscriber Exclusive Quick Hit
EdWeek subscribers, join this 30-minute webinar to find out what the latest federal policy changes mean for K-12 education.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Curriculum Webinar
End Student Boredom: K-12 Publisher's Guide to 70% Engagement Boost
Calling all K-12 Publishers! Student engagement flatlining? Learn how to boost it by up to 70%.
Content provided by KITABOO

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

School & District Management How Principals Can Boost Teacher Morale
Principals share advice for how they support teachers during uncertain times.
4 min read
Vector illustration of a large handing holding an open book with silhouetted women and men standing on the pages of the open book.
iStock/Getty
School & District Management Opinion Denver Superintendent: Why We Sued the Federal Government
Education leaders shouldn't remain apolitical in the face of immigration enforcement changes and other threats from the Trump administration.
Alex Marrero
6 min read
Human hands created secure environment for children via home roof gesture. Adults taking care of vulnerable students.
Mary Long/iStock + Education Week
School & District Management Food and Massage Coupons: How Principals Signal Their Appreciation for Teachers
Small gestures can go a long way this Teacher Appreciation Week.
5 min read
Image of a notebook page with "THANK YOU TEACHER" written with some doodles and smiley faces.
iStock/Getty
School & District Management Opinion How to Be a Focused Leader When There’s a Lot of Noise
Burnout, attrition, absenteeism, and disengagement are key issues for schools. Here's a path forward for educators.
3 min read
Screen Shot 2025 04 29 at 6.54.09 AM
Canva