Florida Governor Ron DeSantis endorsed a slate of candidates in county school board races across the state last week, casting his stamp of approval on candidates he feels match his education agenda. One of those candidates was Derek Barrs, a retired law enforcement officer who’s running for the District 3 seat on the Flagler School Board.
It’s the second straight election in which DeSantis has cast endorsements in Flagler School Board races. In 2022 he endorsed Jill Woolbright and Will Furry, with the latter ultimately winning his race. DeSantis picked Barrs over his 2024 opponent, educator Janie Ruddy. He did not make a selection in the District 5 race between Lauren Ramirez and Vincent Sullivan.
DeSantis Backs Barrs
“I’m happy to endorse Derek Barrs for school board in Flagler County,” DeSantis said. “Derek is a candidate who is committed to fighting for schools to get back to the fundamentals. Derek has pledged to serve on the school board with a focus on student success, parental rights, and curriculum transparency. We want the best for our children and I’m confident Derek will build upon the success we’ve had here in Florida.”
Barrs, who along with Ruddy is waging his first political campaign, welcomed the endorsement with open arms. “I am honored to receive Governor Ron DeSantis’ endorsement as I campaign to be your next Flagler County School Board Member for District 3,” he said in response. “I am committed to keeping our schools safe, ensuring high quality education for all, fostering community partnerships, and supporting our teachers and staff. I am thankful for the confidence the Governor has placed in me and will work hard every day to put students first and ensure their success.”
Janie Ruddy Responds
In the wake of the announcement, Ruddy responded seemingly with confusion as to how Barrs wound up earning the governor’s approval. “I am disappointed our Governor did not contact me prior to making endorsements last week,” she said. “As a teacher I would encourage him to explore evidence-based decision making practices.”
Ruddy and Barrs are both seeking to inherit the seat of Colleen Conklin, one of the county’s most tenured elected officials who decided against another re-election bid in the 2024 cycle. Conklin made the decision to endorse Ruddy in the days following the DeSantis decision. The other incumbent Board member up for re-election, Cheryl Massaro, also opted not to run after candidate Lauren Ramirez entered with her blessing.
DeSantis and Florida’s School Boards
In 2022, DeSantis launched an application system for school board candidates in Florida to pursue his endorsement. This came at a time when DeSantis was at the front lines of the so-called ‘culture wars’ in public schools, working with the state legislature to combat elements associated with the LGBTQ+ community and other social activist groups in the classroom.
This came to a head with the Parental Rights in Education law, derided as ‘Don’t Say Gay’, which spawned lengthy legal and commercial battles before finally reaching a de-escalating court settlement earlier this year.
