The Kansas Board of Education will retain its Republican majority and shift more to the right. 

Republicans appeared headed to win two of five races on Tuesday, giving conservatives a 7-3 majority over Democrats on the board. 

Sally Cauble, a former board member, said the new crop of Republican winners that joined the current board members swings the board far to the right. 

“We only need one more vote on there, and it would be a very far right board,” said Cauble, treasurer of Kansans for Excellence in Education, a political action group that endorsed candidates in the races. 

The newly-elected Republicans join four conservatives — Michelle Dombrosky, Cathy Hopkins, Dennis Hershberger and Danny Zeck — who campaigned on stomping out “woke” teachings and spoke out against lessons on racism, sexuality and gender identity. Those conservatives retain their majority on the board.

Republican victories this election concerned public education advocates who worry about attacks on social-emotional learning and academic standards, KMUW reports. 

Before the election, Republicans had a 7-3 majority on the Board of Education. That didn’t mean the board always skewed heavily conservative. Three of the seven Republicans were moderates, but the moderates all opted not to run again. 

Republican Connie O’Brien edges Democrat Kris Meyer in District 4 

With 99% of the vote counted, O’Brien had nearly 51% of the total to just over 49% for Meyer.

O’Brien is a proud conservative. The former state legislator was once labeled by an opponent as an “ultra-conservative” when running for a House seat in 2012. 

“I consider that a compliment,” O’Brien told The (Tonganoxie) Mirror at the time. 

Meyer is a former school principal and Horizon Award-winning teacher with over a decade of experience in public schools. 

Republican Debby Potter beats Democrat Jeffrey Jarman and independent Kent Rowe in District 10

Potter captured about 60% of the vote, Jarman had about 31% and Rowe got 9%.

Jarman has served on the Maize School Board and is director of the School of Communications at Wichita State University. He has attacked Potter for being too conservative. 

Potter, a former substitute teacher who home-schooled her children, said her views aren’t extreme. 

“I want them not to be indoctrinated away from … their faith and away from their parents,” Potter said at a Republican forum. “And I feel like there’s a lot of undermining of the families going on.”

Rowe, the independent candidate, is a former small-town mayor and has multiple degrees from multiple universities. 

Democrat Melanie Haas beats Republican Fred Postlewait in District 2

Hass took about 62% to 34% for Postlewait and roughly 4% for Kiel Corkran.

Haas was running for her second term on the board. She’s been appointed to the Kansas Volunteer Commission and is the state board’s liaison to the Kansas State School for the Blind.  

Postlewait is a retired librarian. 

Democrat Beryl New beats Republican Bruce Schultz in District 6

New won almost 57% of the vote to 43% for Schultz.

New retired after more than three decades in public education. She’s been a teacher and school administrator. She took on Schultz, who is a professor at Kansas State University. 

Democrat Betty Arnold beats Republican Jason Carmichael in District 8

Arnold won about 51% to 49% for Carmichael.

Arnold is one of two candidates who ran for reelection this cycle. She’s running for her second term after 10 years on the Wichita Board of Education. She was challenged by Carmichael, who is an Air Force veteran.