TX: November voters will choose two or three new SBOE members

Originally posted at http://www.americanindependent.com/tx-november-voters-will-choose-two-or-three-new-sboe-members/

By Mary Tuma | 07.20.10 | 2:54 pm

Comments Share The greater Austin and San Antonio regions play host to three contested races in November for the 15-member State Board of Education. Going into the general, the ultra-conservative bloc on the board has lost two of seven members, plus a pivotal Democratic swing vote.

In north Austin, a tea party Republican takes on a Democrat (both are educators) to replace a retiring incumbent. In south Austin/north San Antonio, a Democratic professor is challenging a socially conservative GOP incumbent. In south San Antonio, a Democrat and Republican vie to replace the board’s wild-card voter.

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District 3

The conservative Republican bloc routinely counted on Democrat Rick Agosto of San Antonio to act as a swing vote on religiously charged issues. His exit from the board is an opportunity for Democrats to further dilute the bloc’s power.

In the running for Agosto’s seat are Democrat Michael Soto, who has about $11,400 in cash, and Republican Tony Cunningham, whose campaign has no money. Since the district (which includes southern Bexar County and stretches south toward the boarder) typically trends Democratic, Soto, a university professor, is likely to replace Agosto.

Soto put to rest any speculation that he will follow Agosto’s unpredictable voting pattern.

“I will certainly not be a vote that the right-wing radicals can count on,” he said. “They have hijacked the state board and put their partisan political interests in front and center. If it had been up to me, I would have voted very differently when it came to language arts standards and pressed for a different approach to science. If elected, I hope to have a positive impact on the disastrous social studies standards and do everything in my power to fix the problems."