Laurie Lawson Cox, a teacher who retired after 36 years, was re-elected to the Leon County School Board after a hard-fought race. Challenger Jeremy Rogers, a firefighter and the owner of a pre-school and a summer camp, conceded well before Cox declared victory.
She’s naturally cautious and kept watching the returns to be sure she’d won before speaking to reporters.
“That’s what I keep thinking of -- the Olympian who had to give back her bronze medal," she told the family and friends gathered in her home. "It’s looking promising. It’s looking promising.”
Cox is the only Republican on the school board; she supports vouchers. Challenger Rogers is a Democrat who opposes vouchers. The partisanship in the race spread to the point that Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried and state Republican Party Chair Evan Power joined the skirmishing.
Ultimately, Cox won 52 to 48.
