Election Day: Here's a look at the 8 state school board races for 2026

SALT LAKE CITY — Eight seats on the Utah State Board of Education are available in this year's midterm election, but four candidates are running uncontested.

Still, several incumbents are looking to stave off challengers and hold their seats on the 15-member board that is also set to welcome a host of newcomers.

Here's a look at where things stand on Election Day.

Contested

District 1 (Box Elder, Cache, Morgan and Rich Counties as well as a portion of Summit County)

Cathy Callow-Heusser, a Democrat, will try to unseat incumbent Republican Jennie Earl, who is seeking a third term after being reelected in 2022.

One area of opposition between the candidates relates to whether or not the state should manage federal education funds. Earl is a proponent of state management; in April 2025 voting in favor of a USBE proposal to send an intent letter to President Donald Trump and Utah's federal delegation that would have expressed support for sending federal education dollars to the state.

The board ultimately voted 10-4 against the letter.

Callow-Heusser's campaign website states that she disagrees with ending the federal management of federal education funds, citing concerns that it could "reduce Utah's overall education funding unless taxes are raised and weaken civil rights protections, impacting students with special needs or who are underserved."

Callow-Heusser previously ran for Utah's Senate District 26 in 2018.

District 7 (portion of Salt Lake County)

Incumbent Republican Erin Longacre is seeking a second term after being appointed in 2025 to fill the vacant seat left after Molly Hart was selected as the state's superintendent of public instruction.

Democrat James Martin is running against Longacre, with nearly three decades of public education experience behind his campaign and time as a Utah Education Association board member.

District 8 (portion of Salt Lake County)

After serving one term, Republican Christina Boggess is not seeking reelection.

Filling the seat will come down to Democratic candidate Araueni Olivares and Republican Nicole McDermott.

Both candidates have extensive experience in the public education realm, with Olivares working for the Granite School District, including work with multilingual learners. His campaign website also cites experience as a physical education specialist at Redwood Elementary and student advocate at Northwest Middle School.

McDermott has taught music and orchestra in the Jordan and Granite School Districts over the past 25 years, according to her campaign website. Since 2019, McDermott has held a seat on the Granite School District board of education, including the last three years as board president.

District 11 (portions of Salt Lake and Utah counties)

Incumbent Cindy Bishop Davis, a Republican, is not seeking reelection for a third term.

Instead, the seat will be filled by either Democrat Lacey Peterson or Republican Tracy J. Nuttall.

Peterson's campaign website said she is a licensed therapist and former substitute teacher, with a primary focus on student mental health.

Nuttall is a legislative attorney and previously served on a school community council and Parent Teacher Association, according to her campaign website.

Uncontested

District 2 (portions of Weber County)

Democrat Kacee Weaver is set to take over this seat after incumbent Joe Kerry in September announced he was stepping down from the board and withdrawing from his reelection race. Kerry has served on the board since 2023.

Weaver has a background in both higher education and K-12, having served as an educational consultant at Westminster College for two years and three years as a dual language immersion teacher in the Ogden School District, according to her LinkedIn.

District 4 (portions of Davis and Salt Lake counties)

LeAnn Wood, a Republican, is also running uncontested and will retain her seat, which she has held since 2022.

District 5 (portion of Salt Lake County)

Democrat Sarah Reale will retain her position on the board for a second term. Reale was first elected in 2022.

District 14 (Beaver, Carbon, Emery, Grand, Juab, Millard, Sanpete and Sevier Counties as well as a portion of lron and Utah counties)

Emily Green is not seeking reelection after her first term, opening the door for newcomer Linda Hanks, a Republican, to take her seat in representing a bulk of the state's rural schools.

Hanks is currently serving her fourth term as the Juab School Board President

A segment from Hank's campaign website said her focus as a state school board member would be on "parental engagement, supporting teachers, and finding ways to efficiently use taxpayer dollars."

An interactive map of all school board districts in Utah can be found here.

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