One of the most divisive members of the Texas State Board of Education‘s far-right faction survived a tough re-election fight in his Republican primary on Tuesday. Candidates in the two other contested primary races for seats on state board are headed to May 27 runoffs. Incumbent David Bradley, R-Beaumont Buna, defeated challenger Rita Ashley of […]
Rita Ashley
Texas Education Board Candidates Say: Government Shouldn't Be Responsible for Educating Kids!
You might think that all of the candidates seeking election to the body that oversees the public education system in Texas would actually support public education. But candidate answers in a religious-right group’s voter guide this month suggest you would be wrong. At least three Republican candidates — including one incumbent — in this year’s […]
Challenger Outspending Far-Right Incumbent in Texas SBOE Primary Race
With just a month go before the March 4 primary elections, challenger Rita Ashley is outspending — by far — incumbent David Bradley in the Republican primary race for the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) District 7 seat in Southeast Texas. Ashley lost to Bradley in the 2012 GOP primary. She is a former […]
Challenger Outspending Religious-Righter Bradley in Texas SBOE Race
New campaign finance reports show that one of the most prominent members of the Texas State Board of Education‘s far-right faction is being heavily outspent in his bid for re-election to the board seat he has held since 1996. District 7 incumbent David Bradley, R-Beaumont Buna, reported spending just under $15,000 in the period from […]
Handful of Contests See the Most Money in Texas State Board of Education Races
In the 1990s, San Antonio businessman James Leininger — the religious right’s sugar daddy in Texas — poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into State Board of Education (SBOE) races. That money helped hard-right social conservatives build a multi-year campaign to take control of the board — and turned subsequent board debates over textbooks and […]