Marcus Nicolas, the incumbent running for the Leon County School Board District 5 seat, was reelected by a wide margin.
In Leon County school board races, only residents of the district vote in the race.
Nicolas received approximately 71 percent of the vote against his opponent James Reilly, a local hospitality manager.
The race was Reilly's first bid for political office.
As polls closed and final votes were tallied, Nicolas, surrounded by friends, family and colleagues celebrated his chance to continue serving the children and families of Leon County.
"We are looking forward to the conclusion of this night and tomorrow so we can get right back to work," Nicolas said.
Nicolas was first elected in 2022, and the reelection marks the start of his second term.
According to the Leon County Supervisor of Elections, the position earns an annual salary of $48,174.
He was recently named president of Tallahassee-based public relations firm ESPMedia.
The reelection comes as the school board navigates financial woes amid underfunding from the state and a rising cost in expenses.
Nicolas will continue to have a voice in the decision-making process that will shape the district's financial future.
"Every student counts and we can't lose any students, so we have to continue to grind and push and fight for our students," Nicolas said.
Nicolas will be sworn in on Nov. 17.
