School Districts like Lake Travis and Mansfield have become known as ground zero for book bans and other Christian Nationalist policies in recent years, but Texans have said enough is enough.
In the May 2026 elections, several far-right incumbents got the boot as Democratic-backed challengers secured victories across the state. Not just inside Lake Travis and Mansfield, but at Grapevine-Colleyville ISD outside of Dallas too.
Cleaning House
In a political shift that started last year, it’s clear Texans are continuing to reject extreme policies that don’t serve the classroom or support the futures of our students. At Grapevine-Colleyville ISD, conservatives lost their majority after three seats flipped. Two of those ousted Board members, AJ Pontillo and Mary Humphrey, were backed by Patriot Mobile, a far-right Christian cellphone company that helped capture school boards across the state in 2022.
In Lake Travis, both Robert Aird and Keely Cano heavily pushed book bans during their time as school board trustees. That time has come to an end, as both were defeated by progressive challengers who ran explicit anti-censorship campaigns.
Finally, in Mansfield, another Patriot Mobile-backed incumbent – Courtney Wilson – lost her seat by 65 votes. It’s worth noting that Mansfield ISD has been so entrenched in far-right policies that it was even featured in a national documentary on book bans, The Librarians.
The pendulum is swinging back.
Our Kids Are Not for Sale
It isn’t just Patriot Mobile. Far-right activist groups like True Texas Project and Moms for Liberty have collectively poured millions of dollars into our Texas school board races. Keep in mind, these races are officially non-partisan, and the education of our kids shouldn’t be influenced by ideological dark money.
After taking over school boards, these candidates made sweeping and harmful changes to the district at a frightening speed. For example, Mansfield ISD was the first to strip librarians of their decision-making powers – two years before the Texas Legislature took the policy statewide with Senate Bill 13.
As the state continues to attack public education and districts are forced to face hard choices, these elections are a referendum against these ideological policies which do nothing to help students succeed in the classroom, including our Black, brown, and LGBTQIA+ children who have been hurt the most.
This isn’t some blip. Last year, it was Arlington, Fort Bend, Keller, and Liberty Hill ISD, too. Our children aren’t political pawns, and Texans will continue fighting back until each and every one of our students feels safe, supported, and seen in the classroom.
When We Show Up and Speak Out, We Win
Change isn’t just possible; it’s happening in real time.
While our fight to protect our children and their right to education is far from over, these electoral wins tell us now is the perfect time to get involved if you haven’t already:
We need your help. Speak out. Register to vote. And join our elections list. It’s an important year, so sign up to stay on top of upcoming elections and be the first to hear about our endorsements in the weeks and months ahead.
Together we’re winning. Let’s keep going.
