Early voting began Monday, Oct. 19, for this year’s midterm elections, and as Texans head to the polls, they will be weighing in on several statewide races that shape education.
Here’s what to know.
Texas Comptroller
The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts race is a bit further down on the ballot, and the role serves as the state’s chief financial officer, accountant, treasurer, and tax collector. The office manages state funds, collects more than 60 types of state and local taxes, invests billions in state assets, and crafts the official revenue estimates that legally bind the state budget.
What does that have to do with education? The role is also in charge of the state’s Texas Education Freedom Accounts, also known as private school vouchers.
The program allocates $1 billion of taxpayer funds to families to use on private school tuition and homeschool costs. While proponents claim the program offers families of all backgrounds more school choice, critics call it “welfare for the wealthy,” and warn it will take crucial funding away from public schools.
The comptroller’s office is responsible for choosing the companies that will receive millions of dollars to help administer the program, creating the rules participating families must follow, and producing annual reports on the program’s outcomes.
The comptroller can also petition the Texas Legislature to change or expand program funding, which has already been requested by Republican Don Huffines, who was appointed to the role by Gov. Greg Abbott earlier this year.
Huffines is on the ballot against Democrat Sarah Eckhardt.
Governor
The governor has a hand in shaping both K-12 and higher education in Texas.
They have the power to appoint the Texas Education Agency Commissioner, who oversees pre-K through high school public and charter education for Texas’ 5.5 million students. The role supports the State Board of Education in developing statewide curriculum standards, such as the social studies overhaul or required reading list that includes passages from the Bible that was approved this summer.
The TEA Commissioner also has the authority to take over struggling school districts, which the state has seen most recently in Houston and Fort Worth ISDs.
At higher education institutions, the governor also has the power to appoint members to university and college board of regents, which are the official governing bodies for a public university, college, or multi-campus university system in Texas. The board sets major policies, approves budgets, manages endowments, hires system chancellors and university presidents, and oversees academic and facility plans.
Recently, board of regents across the state have cracked down on diversity, equity, and inclusion on campuses, and have censored LGBTQ+ and topics of race in classrooms.
Republican incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott and Democrat Gina Hinojosa are vying for the seat this year.
Related: Why Texans are voting with education in mind this midterm election
Lt. Governor
The Texas Lieutenant Governor also plays a major role in shaping education across the state. The role rules over the Texas State Senate, and appoints Senate committee members and chairs, which includes the Senate Committee on Education. The role also controls which bills receive floor debates, sets legislative priorities for each legislative session, and serves as vice chair of the Legislative Education Board
Current Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick made headlines recently when it comes to education, threatening to pass a law that would allow the state to takeover districts if books he deems “vulgar” or “dirty” are found on public school library shelves.
Patrick will face Democrat Vikki Goodwin in this year’s midterm election.
State Board of Education
The State Board of Education plays a crucial role in shaping education in Texas. It isn’t the same thing as your local school board. Instead it’s made up of 15 members who are elected from districts across the state.
Its members are required to meet at least quarterly, and set policies and standards for Texas public schools, including reviewing and adopting instructional materials and curriculum, establishing graduation requirements, and reviewing new charter schools.
Nine out of 15 seats are up for election this year—Districts 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13, and 14—and the winners will serve a four-year term.
Early voting runs now through Oct. 30, Election Day is Nov. 3.
