Five seats were up for grabs on the Broward County School Board, and two of those seats will be filled by newcomers.
Each of the board’s DeSantis appointees lost their bids to be elected outright to their seats. In District One, Daniel Foganholi finished third behind Chris Canter and the winner, Maura Bulman. In District Two, Torey Alston lost to Rebecca Thompson.
Bulman, an attorney, has four children in Broward County Public Schools, has never held public office before, but says she felt compelled to run because Foganholi does not live in the district.
“We haven’t had local representation in a while and it’s really important that we in district one have strong local representation, there’s a lot going on with our public schools,” Bulman said.
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Thompson also has children in Broward County Public Schools and like Bulman, has never held public office. She is a social worker and most recently worked as an assistant to school board member Dr. Allen Zeman.
“I’m here in our community, I live here and Mr. Alston did not, so we really just came together and spoke out and showed the values of our county, which is strong education, caring about every student, and keeping our students safe.”
Decision 2024
Alston released a statement saying, “Thank you to the nearly 10,000 voters in southwest Broward! When I jumped into this nonpartisan race, I knew that the odds would be against me if voters focused more on party affiliation than qualifications and experience. But, I am a strong man of faith. I pray for the new board seated in November and wish all the best for the district and our children.”
Incumbents Debbi Hixon, Sarah Leonardi, and Jeff Holness easily retained their seats.
