SBOE District 6: 4 Republicans in Primary Election

The State Board of Education (SBOE) District 6 seat is drawing significant attention in the upcoming March 5 Republican primary, with four candidates vying for the opportunity to shape Texas’s educational landscape. Representing a vast district spanning parts of Montgomery, Harris, Waller, Grimes, and Brazos counties, including rapidly expanding communities like The Woodlands, this race highlights deep conservative concerns over curriculum content, parental authority, and instructional materials.

Early voting for this crucial primary election began on February 20 and concludes on March 1. Election day is Tuesday, March 5. Should no candidate secure over 50% of the vote, a runoff election is slated for May 28.

**Understanding the SBOE’s Role**

The Texas SBOE is a powerful, statewide body whose decisions profoundly influence what over 5 million public school students learn and how teachers teach. Unlike local school boards that manage daily operations and district budgets, the SBOE is responsible for critical functions including:
* Setting curriculum standards for all Texas public schools.
* Reviewing and adopting instructional materials, including textbooks.
* Establishing graduation requirements.
* Overseeing the multi-billion dollar Permanent School Fund, which benefits public education.
* Granting charters for open-enrollment schools.

The District 6 seat holds particular importance as it encompasses a geographically diverse area, ranging from the suburban growth of The Woodlands to more rural communities, all grappling with the evolving landscape of public education and intense debates over ideological influences in schools.

**The Candidates and Their Platforms**

Four Republican candidates are campaigning on platforms largely centered around similar themes, reflecting a broader conservative movement in Texas education: parental rights, curriculum content, and what they term “woke” agendas.

**Sue Melton-Malone (Incumbent)**
The only incumbent in the race, Sue Melton-Malone has served two terms on the SBOE since first being elected in 2013. A former teacher and small business owner, Melton-Malone emphasizes her legislative experience and deep understanding of the SBOE’s intricate functions. Her platform centers on protecting parental rights, eliminating Critical Race Theory and “woke” ideology from schools, promoting classical education, and advocating for career and technical education programs. She highlights her extensive work on various SBOE committees, including those overseeing the significant Permanent School Fund, positioning herself as a seasoned voice for traditional values in education.

**Stacey Hodge**
A conservative pro-parent advocate, Stacey Hodge brings 25 years of experience as an educator, having served as a teacher, assistant principal, and principal. A mom and small business owner, Hodge is campaigning on restoring parental rights, removing what she calls “inappropriate materials” from schools, ending “woke agendas,” and empowering local school districts. She previously ran for SBOE District 7 in 2020 and emphasizes her deep professional roots in education and commitment to what she terms “traditional values.”

**Ken Utz**
A businessman and former U.S. Navy Submarine Warfare Officer, Ken Utz is a newcomer to elected office but is active in local conservative groups. His campaign prioritizes protecting children from what he identifies as “woke” agendas, “gender ideology,” “social emotional learning” (SEL), and inappropriate library books. Utz advocates for parental rights, a return to core academic subjects, fiscal responsibility in education, and school choice, presenting himself as a proponent of practical, “common-sense solutions.”

**Maggie Williams**
A former teacher, mom, and conservative activist, Maggie Williams is running on a platform similar to her fellow challengers: parental rights, eliminating “woke” curriculum, protecting children from what she calls “indoctrination,” and promoting civics and American exceptionalism. With no prior elected office experience, Williams has gained visibility through her activism in various conservative organizations and her vocal presence at local school board meetings, branding herself as a grassroots “fighter” for children and transparency in educational matters.

**Key Issues Driving the Race**

The race for District 6 is largely a referendum on the direction of public education in Texas, dominated by several interconnected themes that resonate strongly with the conservative electorate:

* **Parental Rights:** All four candidates strongly emphasize the importance of parental authority in educational decisions, ranging from curriculum content to library book selections and discussions surrounding gender identity. This is a powerful rallying cry for conservative voters seeking more influence over their children’s schooling.
* **”Woke” Agendas and Ideology:** The term “woke” is frequently used by candidates to encompass various concepts they oppose, including Critical Race Theory, gender ideology, and certain aspects of Social Emotional Learning (SEL), which they argue promote divisive or inappropriate viewpoints in schools.
* **Curriculum and Instructional Materials:** A central function of the SBOE, the adoption of instructional materials and setting of curriculum standards is a major point of contention. Candidates are vowing to remove materials they deem “inappropriate” or ideologically driven, favoring a return to what they describe as classical, traditional, or core academic subjects.
* **School Choice:** While not the primary focus of the SBOE, the concept of school choice, which advocates for public funds following students to private schools, is an underlying conservative principle that some candidates support, indirectly influencing their broader education philosophy.

Voters in District 6, encompassing portions of Montgomery, Harris, Waller, Grimes, and Brazos counties, are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the candidates and their platforms as they cast their ballots for a position that profoundly impacts the future of Texas public education.