Alabama State Board of Education

	Alabama State Board of Education
	; ; ;
	General information
Office Type:	Partisan
Office website:	Official Link
Total Seats:	9
Term limits:	None
	Structure
Length of term:	4 years
Authority:	Code of Alabama, Title 16-3-1
Selection Method:	Elected
	Current Officeholder(s)
	Kay Ivey, Allen Long, Marie Manning, Kelly Mooney, Wayne Reynolds, Yvette Richardson, Tonya Smith Chestnut, Tracie West, Jackie Zeigler
	Elections
Next election:	2026
Last election:	2024
	Other Alabama Executive Offices
	Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Superintendent of Education • Agriculture Commissioner • Insurance Commissioner • Natural Resources Commissioner • Labor Commissioner • Public Service Commission

The Alabama State Board of Education is an elected executive agency of the Alabama state government, responsible for managing the state's public K-12 education. The board's mission is "To provide a state system of education which is committed to academic excellence and which provides education of the highest quality to all Alabama students, preparing them for the 21st century."^[1]

Current officeholders

The board is composed of nine members, including the governor, who serves as the president of the board. The other members are elected to four-year terms by voters in one of the state's eight education districts, all of which are similar in population. Elections to the board are staggered, with Districts 1, 3, 5, and 7 holding elections in presidential election years, while Districts 2, 4, 6, and 8 hold elections in midterm years. Each year, the board elects a vice president and a president pro tempore from among its elected members.^[2]

Office	Name	Party
Alabama State Board of Education District 1	Jackie Zeigler	Republican
Alabama State Board of Education District 2	Tracie West	Republican
Alabama State Board of Education District 3	Kelly Mooney	Republican
Alabama State Board of Education District 4	Yvette Richardson	Democratic
Alabama State Board of Education District 5	Tonya Smith Chestnut	Democratic
Alabama State Board of Education District 6	Marie Manning	Republican
Alabama State Board of Education District 7	Allen Long	Republican
Alabama State Board of Education District 8	Wayne Reynolds	Republican
Governor of Alabama	Kay Ivey	Republican

Authority

The Alabama State Board of Education was established in 1919 by the Alabama State Legislature.^[3] Its authority is laid out in Section 16-3-1 of the 1975 Code of Alabama.^[4]

Section 16-3-1:

The State Board of Education shall be composed of the Governor as an ex officio member and eight members elected from districts provided by general law. Members of the board shall serve for terms of four years each, and the member from each district shall be elected by the qualified electors of the district at the general election immediately preceding the expiration of the term of office of the member, as designated by the board, representing such district on the board and every four years thereafter. Each member shall hold office from the first Monday after the second Tuesday in January next after his or her election and until his or her successor is elected and qualified.

Qualifications

The qualifications for serving on the board are laid out in Section 16-3-3 of the 1975 Code of Alabama. Board members must be eligible voters living within the district they represent. Employees of the board are ineligible to run for election to the board, as are former educators who have held a teaching position within five years of the election.^[5]

Section 16-3-3:

The members of the board shall be qualified electors of the State of Alabama, and each member shall be a qualified elector in the district which he represents. No person who is an employee of the board or who is or has been engaged as a professional educator within five years next preceding the date of the election shall be eligible for membership on the board. For the purposes of this section the term "professional educator" shall include teacher, supervisor or principal of any public or private school; instructor, professor or president of any public or private university, college or junior college or trade school; any state, county or city superintendent of education; or other person engaged in an administrative capacity in the field of education.

Elections

Alabama elects members to four-year terms on the State Board of Education in all even-numbered years. Members representing odd-numbered districts are elected on presidential election years, while members representing even-numbered districts are elected on midterm election years. Members take office on the first Monday after the second Tuesday of January in the year after their election.

Term limits

There are no term limits to the Alabama State Board of Education.

Election results

Alabama State Board of Education District 2

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Alabama State Board of Education District 4

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Alabama State Board of Education District 6

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Alabama State Board of Education District 8

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Alabama State Board of Education District 1

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Alabama State Board of Education District 3

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Alabama State Board of Education District 5

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Alabama State Board of Education District 7

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Alabama State Board of Education District 2

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Alabama State Board of Education District 4

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Alabama State Board of Education District 6

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Alabama State Board of Education District 8

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Alabama State Board of Education District 1

General election

General election for Alabama State Board of Education District 1

Incumbent Jackie Zeigler (R) won election in the general election for Alabama State Board of Education District 1 on November 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Jackie Zeigler (R)	98.6	220,386
	Other/Write-in votes	1.4%	3,076

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 223,462
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary

The Democratic primary scheduled for March 5, 2024, was canceled.

Republican primary

The Republican primary scheduled for March 5, 2024, was canceled. Incumbent Jackie Zeigler (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Alabama State Board of Education District 1 without appearing on the ballot.

Alabama State Board of Education District 3

General election

General election for Alabama State Board of Education District 3

Kelly Mooney (R) won election in the general election for Alabama State Board of Education District 3 on November 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Kelly Mooney (R)	97.8	226,243
	Other/Write-in votes	2.2%	5,179

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 231,422
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary

The Democratic primary scheduled for March 5, 2024, was canceled.

Republican primary

Republican primary for Alabama State Board of Education District 3

Kelly Mooney (R) defeated Charlotte Meadows (R), Ann Eubank (R), and Melissa Snowden (R) in the Republican primary for Alabama State Board of Education District 3 on March 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kelly Mooney	51.4	38,697
		Charlotte Meadows	23.3	17,532
		Ann Eubank	14.0	10,537
	Submit photo	Melissa Snowden	11.3	8,494

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 75,260
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Alabama State Board of Education District 5

General election

General election for Alabama State Board of Education District 5

Incumbent Tonya Smith Chestnut (D) defeated David Perry (R) in the general election for Alabama State Board of Education District 5 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Tonya Smith Chestnut (D)	55.0	142,007
	Submit photo	David Perry (R)	44.9	115,827
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2%	417

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 258,251
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary

The Democratic primary scheduled for March 5, 2024, was canceled. Incumbent Tonya Smith Chestnut (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Alabama State Board of Education District 5 without appearing on the ballot.

Republican primary

The Republican primary scheduled for March 5, 2024, was canceled. David Perry (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Alabama State Board of Education District 5 without appearing on the ballot.

Alabama State Board of Education District 7

General election

General election for Alabama State Board of Education District 7

Allen Long (R) won election in the general election for Alabama State Board of Education District 7 on November 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Allen Long (R)	98.8	242,663
	Other/Write-in votes	1.2%	2,839

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 245,502
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary

The Democratic primary scheduled for March 5, 2024, was canceled.

Republican primary

Republican primary for Alabama State Board of Education District 7

Allen Long (R) defeated Doug Bachuss (R) and Oscar Mann (R) in the Republican primary for Alabama State Board of Education District 7 on March 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Allen Long	60.9	52,769
	Doug Bachuss	27.0	23,348
	Oscar Mann	12.1	10,513

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 86,630
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Alabama State Board of Education District 2

General election

General election for Alabama State Board of Education District 2

Incumbent Tracie West (R) won election in the general election for Alabama State Board of Education District 2 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Tracie West (R)	98.1	120,488
		Other/Write-in votes	1.9%	2,297

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 122,785
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary

The Democratic primary scheduled for May 24, 2022, was canceled.

Republican primary

Republican primary for Alabama State Board of Education District 2

Incumbent Tracie West (R) defeated Alex Balkcum (R) in the Republican primary for Alabama State Board of Education District 2 on May 24, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Tracie West	66.8	42,298
	Submit photo	Alex Balkcum	33.2	21,041

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 63,339
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Alabama State Board of Education District 4

General election

General election for Alabama State Board of Education District 4

Incumbent Yvette Richardson (D) won election in the general election for Alabama State Board of Education District 4 on November 8, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Yvette Richardson (D)	97.4	105,262
	Other/Write-in votes	2.6%	2,847

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 108,109
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary

The Democratic primary scheduled for May 24, 2022, was canceled. Incumbent Yvette Richardson (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Alabama State Board of Education District 4 without appearing on the ballot.

Republican primary

The Republican primary scheduled for May 24, 2022, was canceled.

Alabama State Board of Education District 6

General election

General election for Alabama State Board of Education District 6

Marie Manning (R) won election in the general election for Alabama State Board of Education District 6 on November 8, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Marie Manning (R)	98.8	148,227
	Other/Write-in votes	1.2%	1,847

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 150,074
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary

The Democratic primary scheduled for May 24, 2022, was canceled.

Republican primary

Republican primary for Alabama State Board of Education District 6

Marie Manning (R) defeated Priscilla Yother (R) in the Republican primary for Alabama State Board of Education District 6 on May 24, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Marie Manning	66.1	52,321
	Priscilla Yother	33.9	26,841

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 79,162
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Alabama State Board of Education District 8

General election

General election for Alabama State Board of Education District 8

Incumbent Wayne Reynolds (R) defeated Patrick Wallace (L) in the general election for Alabama State Board of Education District 8 on November 8, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Wayne Reynolds (R)	79.5	119,487
	Patrick Wallace (L)	19.5	29,265
	Other/Write-in votes	1.0%	1,471

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 150,223
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary

The Democratic primary scheduled for May 24, 2022, was canceled.

Republican primary

Republican primary for Alabama State Board of Education District 8

Incumbent Wayne Reynolds (R) defeated Rex Davis (R) in the Republican primary for Alabama State Board of Education District 8 on May 24, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Wayne Reynolds	58.9	37,531
	Submit photo	Rex Davis	41.1	26,238

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 63,769
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Alabama State Board of Education District 1

General election

General election for Alabama State Board of Education District 1

Incumbent Jackie Zeigler (R) defeated Tom Holmes (D) in the general election for Alabama State Board of Education District 1 on November 3, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Jackie Zeigler (R)	72.7	212,461
	Tom Holmes (D)	27.2	79,380
	Other/Write-in votes	0.1%	294

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 292,135
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary

The Democratic primary scheduled for March 3, 2020, was canceled. Tom Holmes (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Alabama State Board of Education District 1 without appearing on the ballot.

Republican primary

The Republican primary scheduled for March 3, 2020, was canceled. Incumbent Jackie Zeigler (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Alabama State Board of Education District 1 without appearing on the ballot.

Alabama State Board of Education District 3

General election

General election for Alabama State Board of Education District 3

Incumbent Stephanie Bell (R) defeated Jarralynne Agee (D) in the general election for Alabama State Board of Education District 3 on November 3, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Stephanie Bell (R)	68.9	209,909
	Jarralynne Agee (D)	31.0	94,375
	Other/Write-in votes	0.1%	278

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 304,562
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary

The Democratic primary scheduled for March 3, 2020, was canceled. Jarralynne Agee (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Alabama State Board of Education District 3 without appearing on the ballot.

Republican primary

The Republican primary scheduled for March 3, 2020, was canceled. Incumbent Stephanie Bell (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Alabama State Board of Education District 3 without appearing on the ballot.

Alabama State Board of Education District 5

General election

General election for Alabama State Board of Education District 5

Tonya Smith Chestnut (D) defeated Lesa Keith (R) in the general election for Alabama State Board of Education District 5 on November 3, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Tonya Smith Chestnut (D)	62.7	161,192
	Lesa Keith (R)	37.2	95,593
	Other/Write-in votes	0.1%	245

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 257,030
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary runoff

Democratic primary runoff for Alabama State Board of Education District 5

Tonya Smith Chestnut (D) defeated Fred F. Bell (D) in the Democratic primary runoff for Alabama State Board of Education District 5 on July 14, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Tonya Smith Chestnut	61.4	21,302
	Fred F. Bell	38.6	13,417

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 34,719
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Alabama State Board of Education District 5

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Alabama State Board of Education District 5 on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Fred F. Bell	30.3	24,589
✔		Tonya Smith Chestnut	19.8	16,044
	Submit photo	Billie Jean Young	13.9	11,271
	Submit photo	Ron Davis	11.1	8,957
		Pamela Laffitte	8.3	6,712
		Patrice McClammy	7.3	5,932
	Submit photo	Woodie Pugh Jr.	7.0	5,696
	Submit photo	Joanne Shum	2.3	1,830

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 81,031
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Phillip Ensler (D)
Robert White II (D)

Republican primary

The Republican primary scheduled for March 3, 2020, was canceled. Lesa Keith (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Alabama State Board of Education District 5 without appearing on the ballot.

Alabama State Board of Education District 7

General election

General election for Alabama State Board of Education District 7

Belinda Palmer McRae (R) won election in the general election for Alabama State Board of Education District 7 on November 3, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Belinda Palmer McRae (R)	98.7	230,122
	Other/Write-in votes	1.3%	2,957

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 233,079
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary

The Democratic primary scheduled for March 3, 2020, was canceled.

Republican primary

The Republican primary scheduled for March 3, 2020, was canceled. Belinda Palmer McRae (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Alabama State Board of Education District 7 without appearing on the ballot.

Alabama State Board of Education District 2

General election

General election for Alabama State Board of Education District 2

Tracie West (R) defeated Adam Jortner (D) in the general election for Alabama State Board of Education District 2 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Tracie West (R)	66.5	128,498
	Submit photo	Adam Jortner (D)	33.4	64,437
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1%	155

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 193,090 (100% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary runoff

Republican primary runoff for Alabama State Board of Education District 2

Tracie West (R) defeated Melanie Hill (R) in the Republican primary runoff for Alabama State Board of Education District 2 on July 17, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Tracie West	50.7	21,547
	Submit photo	Melanie Hill	49.3	20,917

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 42,464
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Alabama State Board of Education District 2

Adam Jortner (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Alabama State Board of Education District 2 on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate
✔	Submit photo	Adam Jortner

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary

Republican primary for Alabama State Board of Education District 2

Melanie Hill (R) and Tracie West (R) advanced to a runoff. They defeated John Taylor (R) and Sybil Little (R) in the Republican primary for Alabama State Board of Education District 2 on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Melanie Hill	32.9	19,677
✔	Submit photo	Tracie West	31.7	18,963
	Submit photo	John Taylor	28.5	17,038
	Submit photo	Sybil Little	7.0	4,159

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 59,837
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Alabama State Board of Education District 4

General election

General election for Alabama State Board of Education District 4

Incumbent Yvette Richardson (D) defeated Don Wallace (R) in the general election for Alabama State Board of Education District 4 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Yvette Richardson (D)	67.4	142,282
	Submit photo	Don Wallace (R)	32.5	68,571
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1%	139

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 210,992 (100% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Alabama State Board of Education District 4

Incumbent Yvette Richardson (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Alabama State Board of Education District 4 on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		Yvette Richardson

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary

Republican primary for Alabama State Board of Education District 4

Don Wallace (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Alabama State Board of Education District 4 on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate
✔	Submit photo	Don Wallace

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Alabama State Board of Education District 6

General election

General election for Alabama State Board of Education District 6

Incumbent Cynthia Sanders McCarty (R) won election in the general election for Alabama State Board of Education District 6 on November 6, 2018.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Cynthia Sanders McCarty (R)	98.8	155,682
	Other/Write-in votes	1.2%	1,843

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 157,525 (100% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary

Republican primary for Alabama State Board of Education District 6

Incumbent Cynthia Sanders McCarty (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Alabama State Board of Education District 6 on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		Cynthia Sanders McCarty

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Alabama State Board of Education District 8

General election

General election for Alabama State Board of Education District 8

Wayne Reynolds (R) defeated Jessica Fortune Barker (D) in the general election for Alabama State Board of Education District 8 on November 6, 2018.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Wayne Reynolds (R)	61.0	137,524
	Jessica Fortune Barker (D)	38.9	87,714
	Other/Write-in votes	0.1%	174

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 225,412 (100% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Alabama State Board of Education District 8

Jessica Fortune Barker (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Alabama State Board of Education District 8 on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		Jessica Fortune Barker

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary

Republican primary for Alabama State Board of Education District 8

Wayne Reynolds (R) defeated Rich McAdams (R) in the Republican primary for Alabama State Board of Education District 8 on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Wayne Reynolds	51.8	30,885
	Submit photo	Rich McAdams	48.2	28,693

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 59,578
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Previous election results

2016

On November 8, 2016, Jackie Zeigler won election to the office of Alabama State Board of Education, District 1. She ran unopposed in the general election.

Alabama State Board of Education, District 1, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Jackie Zeigler	100%	195,549
Total Votes				195,549
Election results via Alabama Division of Elections.

On November 8, 2016, Stephanie Bell won re-election to the office of Alabama State Board of Education, District 3. She defeated Jarralynne Agee in the general election.

Alabama State Board of Education, District 3, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Stephanie Bell Incumbent	73.3%	199,296
	Democratic	Jarralynne Agee	26.7%	72,595
Total Votes				271,891
Election results via Alabama Division of Elections.

On November 8, 2016, Ella Bell won re-election to the office of Alabama State Board of Education, District 5. She ran unopposed in the general election.

Alabama State Board of Education, District 5, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Ella Bell Incumbent	100%	183,712
Total Votes				183,712
Election results via Alabama Division of Elections.

On November 8, 2016, Jeffrey Newman won re-election to the office of Alabama State Board of Education, District 7. He ran unopposed in the general election.

Alabama State Board of Education, District 7, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Jeffrey Newman Incumbent	100%	202,420
Total Votes				202,420
Election results via Alabama Division of Elections.

2014

On November 4, 2014, Betty Peters won re-election to the office of Alabama State Board of Education, District 2. She ran unopposed in the general election.

Alabama State Board of Education, District 2, 2014
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Betty Peters Incumbent	100%	89,137
Total Votes				89,137
Election results via Alabama Division of Elections.

On November 4, 2014, Yvette Richardson won re-election to the office of Alabama State Board of Education, District 4. She ran unopposed in the general election.

Alabama State Board of Education, District 4, 2014
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Yvette Richardson Incumbent	100%	99,618
Total Votes				99,618
Election results via Alabama Division of Elections.

On November 4, 2014, Cynthia Sanders McCarty won election to the office of Alabama State Board of Education, District 6. She ran unopposed in the general election.

Alabama State Board of Education, District 6, 2014
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Cynthia Sanders McCarty	100%	105,827
Total Votes				105,827
Election results via Alabama Division of Elections.

On November 4, 2014, Mary Scott Hunter won re-election to the office of Alabama State Board of Education, District 8. She ran unopposed in the general election.

Alabama State Board of Education, District 8, 2014
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Mary Scott Hunter Incumbent	100%	103,145
Total Votes				103,145
Election results via Alabama Division of Elections.

2012

On November 6, 2012, Tracy Roberts won election to the office of Alabama State Board of Education, District 1. She defeated Herndon Inge in the general election.

Alabama State Board of Education, District 1, 2012
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Tracy Roberts	69.2%	167,798
	Democratic	Herndon Inge, III	30.8%	74,520
Total Votes				242,318
Election results via Alabama Division of Elections.

On November 6, 2012, Stephanie Bell won re-election to the office of Alabama State Board of Education, District 3. She ran unopposed in the general election.

Alabama State Board of Education, District 3, 2012
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Stephanie Bell Incumbent	100%	193,177
Total Votes				193,177
Election results via Alabama Division of Elections.

On November 6, 2012, Ella Bell won re-election to the office of Alabama State Board of Education, District 5. She ran unopposed in the general election.

Alabama State Board of Education, District 5, 2012
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Ella Bell Incumbent	100%	200,790
Total Votes				200,790
Election results via Alabama Division of Elections.

On November 6, 2012, Jeffrey Newman won election to the office of Alabama State Board of Education, District 7. He ran unopposed in the general election.

Alabama State Board of Education, District 7, 2012
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Jeffrey Newman	100%	172,798
Total Votes				172,798
Election results via Alabama Division of Elections.

2010

On November 2, 2010, Betty Peters won re-election to the office of Alabama State Board of Education, District 2. She defeated Betty Letlow in the general election.

Alabama State Board of Education, District 2, 2010
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Betty Peters Incumbent	60.9%	108,974
	Democratic	Betty Letlow	39.1%	69,951
Total Votes				178,925
Election results via Alabama Division of Elections.

On November 2, 2010, Yvette Richardson won election to the office of Alabama State Board of Education, District 4. She defeated Tom Dooley in the general election.

Alabama State Board of Education, District 4, 2010
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Yvette Richardson	63.9%	96,175
	Republican	Tom Dooley	36.1%	54,427
Total Votes				150,602
Election results via Alabama Division of Elections.

On November 2, 2010, Charles Elliott won election to the office of Alabama State Board of Education, District 6. He defeated Kimberly Harbison Drake in the general election.

Alabama State Board of Education, District 6, 2010
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Charles Elliott	78%	153,057
	Democratic	Kimberly Harbison Drake	22%	43,046
Total Votes				196,103
Election results via Alabama Division of Elections.

On November 2, 2010, Mary Scott Hunter won election to the office of Alabama State Board of Education, District 8. She defeated Mary Ruth Yates in the general election.

Alabama State Board of Education, District 8, 2010
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Mary Scott Hunter	63.1%	122,547
	Democratic	Mary Ruth Yates	36.9%	71,796
Total Votes				194,343
Election results via Alabama Division of Elections.

2008

On November 4, 2008, Randy McKinney won re-election to the office of Alabama State Board of Education, District 1. He defeated Kenyon Berry in the general election.

Alabama State Board of Education, District 1, 2008
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Randy McKinney Incumbent	62.5%	163,791
	Democratic	Kenyon Berry	37.5%	98,147
Total Votes				261,938
Election results via Alabama Division of Elections.

On November 4, 2008, Stephanie Bell won re-election to the office of Alabama State Board of Education, District 3. She defeated Judy West Bell in the general election.

Alabama State Board of Education, District 3, 2008
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Stephanie Bell Incumbent	67.7%	188,417
	Democratic	Judy West Bell	32.3%	89,761
Total Votes				278,178
Election results via Alabama Division of Elections.

On November 4, 2008, Ella Bell won re-election to the office of Alabama State Board of Education, District 5. She defeated Lula Bridges in the general election.

Alabama State Board of Education, District 5, 2008
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Ella Bell Incumbent	68.7%	158,746
	Republican	Lula Bridges	31.3%	72,431
Total Votes				231,177
Election results via Alabama Division of Elections.

On November 4, 2008, Gary Warren won election to the office of Alabama State Board of Education, District 7. He defeated Earl Gardner in the general election.

Alabama State Board of Education, District 7, 2008
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Gary Warren	51.3%	111,302
	Democratic	Earl Gardner	48.7%	105,552
Total Votes				216,854
Election results via Alabama Division of Elections.

2006

On November 7, 2006, Betty Peters won re-election to the office of Alabama State Board of Education, District 2. She defeated Charlotte Kirkland Williams in the general election.

Alabama State Board of Education, District 2, 2006
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Betty Peters Incumbent	52.8%	75,565
	Democratic	Charlotte Kirkland Williams	47.2%	67,429
Total Votes				142,994
Election results via Alabama Division of Elections.

On November 7, 2006, Ethel H. Hall won re-election to the office of Alabama State Board of Education, District 4. She ran unopposed in the general election.

Alabama State Board of Education, District 4, 2006
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Ethel H. Hall Incumbent	100%	91,835
Total Votes				91,835
Election results via Alabama Division of Elections.

On November 7, 2006, David Byers won re-election to the office of Alabama State Board of Education, District 6. He ran unopposed in the general election.

Alabama State Board of Education, District 6, 2006
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	David Byers Incumbent	100%	127,096
Total Votes				127,096
Election results via Alabama Division of Elections.

On November 7, 2006, Mary Jane Caylor won re-election to the office of Alabama State Board of Education, District 8. She defeated Marrell Dixon in the general election.

Alabama State Board of Education, District 8, 2006
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Mary Jane Caylor Incumbent	57.8%	89,871
	Republican	Marrell Dixon	42.2%	65,661
Total Votes				155,532
Election results via Alabama Division of Elections.

2004

On November 2, 2004, Randy McKinney won election to the office of Alabama State Board of Education, District 1. He ran unopposed in the general election.

Alabama State Board of Education, District 1, 2004
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Randy McKinney	100%	149,606
Total Votes				149,606
Election results via Alabama Division of Elections.

On November 2, 2004, Stephanie Bell won re-election to the office of Alabama State Board of Education, District 3. She defeated Debbie Tucker Corbett in the general election.

Alabama State Board of Education, District 3, 2004
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Stephanie Bell Incumbent	71.2%	173,154
	Democratic	Debbie Tucker Corbett	28.8%	69,881
Total Votes				243,035
Election results via Alabama Division of Elections.

On November 2, 2004, Ella Bell won re-election to the office of Alabama State Board of Education, District 5. She defeated Joe Knowles in the general election.

Alabama State Board of Education, District 5, 2004
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Ella Bell Incumbent	61.9%	121,315
	Republican	Joe Knowles	38.1%	74,593
Total Votes				195,908
Election results via Alabama Division of Elections.

On November 2, 2004, Sandra Ray won re-election to the office of Alabama State Board of Education, District 7. She defeated Perry Prescott in the general election.

Alabama State Board of Education, District 7, 2004
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Sandra Ray Incumbent	56.9%	118,421
	Republican	Perry Prescott	43.1%	89,881
Total Votes				208,302
Election results via Alabama Division of Elections.

2002

On November 5, 2002, Betty Peters won election to the office of Alabama State Board of Education, District 2. She defeated Charlotte Kirkland Williams in the general election.

Alabama State Board of Education, District 2, 2002
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Betty Peters	50.6%	76,646
	Democratic	Charlotte Kirkland Williams	49.4%	74,934
Total Votes				151,580
Election results via Alabama Division of Elections.

On November 5, 2002, Ethel Hall won election to the office of Alabama State Board of Education, District 4. She defeated Amy Wood in the general election.

Alabama State Board of Education, District 4, 2002
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Ethel Hall	86.1%	109,709
	Libertarian	Amy Wood	13.9%	17,699
Total Votes				127,408
Election results via Alabama Division of Elections.

On November 5, 2002, David Byers won election to the office of Alabama State Board of Education, District 6. He defeated Patsy Vines in the general election.

Alabama State Board of Education, District 6, 2002
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	David Byers	80.4%	126,767
	Libertarian	Patsy Vines	19.6%	30,940
Total Votes				157,707
Election results via Alabama Division of Elections.

On November 5, 2002, Mary Jane Caylor won election to the office of Alabama State Board of Education, District 8. She defeated Don Stout in the general election.

Alabama State Board of Education, District 8, 2002
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Mary Jane Caylor	56.6%	93,512
	Republican	Don Stout	43.4%	71,720
Total Votes				165,232
Election results via Alabama Division of Elections.

2000

On November 7, 2000, Bradley Byrne won election to the office of Alabama State Board of Education, District 1. He defeated Betty Gartman in the general election.

Alabama State Board of Education, District 1, 2000
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Bradley Byrne	60.8%	116,303
	Democratic	Betty Gartman	39.2%	74,874
Total Votes				191,177
Election results via Alabama Division of Elections.

On November 7, 2000, Stephanie Bell won re-election to the office of Alabama State Board of Education, District 3. She defeated Beverly D. Ross in the general election.

Alabama State Board of Education, District 3, 2000
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Stephanie Bell Incumbent	65.2%	130,058
	Democratic	Beverly D. Ross	34.8%	69,295
Total Votes				199,353
Election results via Alabama Division of Elections.

On November 7, 2000, Ella Bell won election to the office of Alabama State Board of Education, District 5. She ran unopposed in the general election.

Alabama State Board of Education, District 5, 2000
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Ella Bell	100%	133,227
Total Votes				133,227
Election results via Alabama Division of Elections.

On November 7, 2000, Sandra Ray won election to the office of Alabama State Board of Education, District 7. She defeated Pat Ellis in the general election.

Alabama State Board of Education, District 7, 2000
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Sandra Ray	60.3%	115,070
	Republican	Pat Ellis	39.7%	75,644
Total Votes				190,714
Election results via Alabama Division of Elections.

Vacancies

The procedure for vacancy appointments is laid out in Section 16-3-5 of the Alabama Code. In the event of a vacancy on the board, the governor may appoint a member to fill the remainder of the term. The appointee must be confirmed by the state Senate.^[6] Section 290-010-010 of the Alabama Code lays out the procedure for handling vacancies of board members who are also officers. Should the office of vice president of the board become vacant at any time, the president pro tempore serves the remainder of the vice president's term. In the event of a vacancy in the office of president pro tempore, the position is left vacant until the next annual election of officers.^[2]

Duties

The duties of the board are laid out in the Alabama Code. Section 16-3-11 empowers the board to exercise "general control and supervision over the public schools of the state" with the exception of universities, and lists as an additional responsibility of the board as being "to direct and develop public sentiment in support of public education."^[7] The Board is empowered by Section 16-3-12 to establish regulations "for the proper construction of school buildings, for the sanitation of schools, for the physical examination of school children" and is given the responsibility of coordinating the enforcement of "rules related to school health, compulsory education and child conservation."^[8]

The board is also responsible for selecting the state superintendent, who acts as the chief executive officer of both the board and the Alabama Department of Education. Section 16-4-1 grants the board authority to select and dismiss state superintendents, who serve at the pleasure of the board. The board is also granted power over the superintendent's salary.^[9]

Compensation

Section 16-3-8 entitles members of the board to a $10 per diem compensation for each day they spend conducting board business. The total per diem payment in a fiscal year may not exceed the board member's board-related expenses during the fiscal year by more than $250.^[10] In addition to the per diem and a mileage allowance, Section 16-3-9 entitles Board members to an expense allowance of $1500 per month for official business.^[11]

Former officeholders

Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for chronological lists of historical officeholders; information for the Alabama State Board of Education has not yet been added because the information was unavailable on the relevant state official websites, or we are currently in the process of formatting the list for this office. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.

Ella Bell (2001-2019)
Tommie Stewart (2020-2021)
Jeffrey Newman (2013-2021)
Cynthia Sanders McCarty (2015-2023)

Contact information

Alabama State Department of Education
50 North Ripley Street
P.O. Box 302101
Montgomery, Alabama 36104
Phone: (334) 694-4900

External links

Suggest a link

Footnotes

[1] Alabama State Department of Education, "Alabama Education Report Card for the 2014-2015 School Year," accessed July 17, 2017

[sec290-2] 2.0 ^2.1 Alabama Administrative Code, "Chapter 290-010-010," accessed January 5, 2021

[3] Encyclopedia of Alabama, "Alabama State Department of Education," accessed July 17, 2017

[4] Code of Alabama, "Section 16-3-1," accessed January 5, 2021

[5] Code of Alabama, "Section 16-3-3," accessed January 5, 2021

[6] Code of Alabama, "Section 16-3-5," accessed January 5, 2021

[7] Code of Alabama, "Section 16-3-11," accessed January 5, 2021

[8] Code of Alabama, "Section 16-3-12," accessed January 5, 2021

[9] Code of Alabama, "Section 16-4-1," accessed January 5, 2021

[10] Code of Alabama, "Section 16-3-8," accessed January 5, 2021

[11] Code of Alabama, "Section 16-3-9," accessed January 5, 2021

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

Alabama State Board of Education

General information
Office Type:	Partisan
Office website:	Official Link
Total Seats:	9
Term limits:	None
Structure
Length of term:	4 years
Authority:	Code of Alabama, Title 16-3-1
Selection Method:	Elected
Current Officeholder(s)
Kay Ivey, Allen Long, Marie Manning, Kelly Mooney, Wayne Reynolds, Yvette Richardson, Tonya Smith Chestnut, Tracie West, Jackie Zeigler
Elections
Next election:	2026
Last election:	2024
Other Alabama Executive Offices
Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Superintendent of Education • Agriculture Commissioner • Insurance Commissioner • Natural Resources Commissioner • Labor Commissioner • Public Service Commission

Alabama	State Executive Elections	News and Analysis

Alabama State Executive Offices Alabama State Legislature Alabama Courts	2026 • 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 Alabama elections: 2026 • 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016	Party control of state government State government trifectas State of the state addresses Partisan composition of governors

	v • e State of Alabama Montgomery (capital)
Elections	What's on my ballot? \| Elections in 2025 \| How to vote \| How to run for office \| Ballot measures
Government	Who represents me? \| U.S. President \| U.S. Congress \| Federal courts \| State executives \| State legislature \| State and local courts \| Counties \| Cities \| School districts \| Public policy