Anti-Sex Ed Candidate Routed in Texas State Board of Education Runoff

Eric Mahroum — who supports displaying the Ten Commandments in public schools and opposes teaching about birth control in sex education classes — went down in flames in Tuesday’s Republican runoff for the District 11 seat on the Texas State Board of Education.

Longtime incumbent Pat Hardy easily defeated Mahroum 59%-41% in the Republican runoff for the seat. Both are from Fort Worth.

The March primary had been much closer, with Hardy leading by only about 6 percent.

Mahroum was backed by Tea Party activists as well as creationists like former SBOE chairman Don McLeroy and current board members David Bradley and Ken Mercer. Because SBOE districts are heavily gerrymandered, it will be very hard for the board’s far-right bloc to gain any additional seats in the November general election.

Hardy will face Democrat Nancy Bean and Libertarian Craig Sanders in the November election.

In another SBOE race, Erika Beltran defeated Andrea Hilburn 66%-34% in the Democratic runoff for the District 13 SBOE seat. That district includes parts of Dallas and Fort Worth. Beltran faces Libertarian Junart Sodoy in November.

Click here for our SBOE Election Watch page, which includes information on all of this year’s board races.

3 thoughts on “Anti-Sex Ed Candidate Routed in Texas State Board of Education Runoff

  1. Pat Hardy is a terrific member of the State
    Board of Education.

    An experienced teacher, dedicated to the education of this state, serving without pay
    the people of this state.

    I am delighted.

    John Keohane
    [email protected]