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Superintendent of Schools elections, 2016
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Three states held elections for superintendent of schools on November 8, 2016.
Click on a state flag for more details:
Partisan analysis
The following table contains the partisan breakdown of superintendents in the country prior to the 2016 elections:
| Office |  Democratic
|
 Republican
|
 Nonpartisan
|
Total seats | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Superintendent of Schools | 3 | 6 | 41 | 50 | |
| Counts as of September 2016. If you see an error, please email us | |||||
The partisan breakdown of superintendents remained unchanged after the 2014 elections. Republicans retained six seats, and a nonpartisan incumbent won re-election. Heading into the 2016 elections, Democrats held three superintendent seats and Republicans held six superintendent seats. Forty-one of the superintendent seats are held by nonpartisan officers. Of the five seats up for election, three were held by Democrats, and two were decided by nonpartisan elections. This created a partisan risk, as all three Democratic seats were being challenged. Democrats therefore entered the November 2016 elections in a position of greater relative risk than Republicans.
Influence of voter turnout
Superintendent elections across the country coincided with what was a highly competitive presidential election, which drives up voter turnout down the ballot.[1] This increased turnout during presidential election years can significantly affect the partisan balance of state governments. In particular, offices elected during mid-presidential term elections disadvantage the party of the current president, a trend that has remained relatively constant since the Civil War. Presidential election years see aggregate gains for the party of the winning presidential candidate.[2][1]
Seven states held superintendent elections in 2014, equal to over half of the 13 states in which it is an elected, partisan position. That same year, voter turnout was the lowest recorded since 1942.[3] Indeed, voter turnout has dropped during mid-presidential term elections since the 1840s.[2] This means a majority of publicly elected superintendents were elected during these midterm cycles that see significantly lower turnout.
2016 elections
Five states held superintendent elections in 2016. Browse candidates, key deadlines, and results by state:
Indiana
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Montana
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North Carolina
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North Dakota
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Washington
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About the office
The superintendent of schools, also known as the superintendent of education, superintendent of public instruction, or chief school administrator, is a statewide office responsible for overseeing and coordinating the state's elementary and secondary schools.
Within the U.S., school superintendents are usually selected by members of the particular district's school board. Often, the superintendent sits on the board as a non-voting member. School boards may consist of either appointed or elected members. Likewise, the superintendent's position also varies by state.
Some states may require a candidate for the superintendency to hold a Ph.D., Ed.D., or similar terminal degree. An active teaching certification is also a common requirement.
An appointed superintendent may have a set term and thus be subject to reappointment. In addition to this, appointed superintendents serve at the pleasure of the appointing body or official and may be fired or asked to resign. For instance, in August of 2010, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie dismissed the state's Commissioner of Education.[4]
| Quick facts about Superintendents of Schools |
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Elected vs. appointed
While the vast majority of the states that do have the statewide governmental position authorize the governor to appoint an individual to the office, there are 13 others who have opted to have public voters select the officeholders. These states include Arizona, California, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Past elections
2015
- See also: State executive official elections, 2015
No superintendent elections were scheduled during the 2015 cycle.
2014
- See also: State executive official elections, 2014
Seven states held regularly scheduled superintendent elections in the 2014 electoral cycle:
2013
- See also: State executive official elections, 2013
Wisconsin was the only state with a scheduled superintendent election in the 2013 electoral cycle. Incumbent superintendent Tony Evers ran for and won re-election to the nonpartisan post. He defeated one challenger, Republican state Rep. Don Pridemore, in the general election on April 2, 2013, earning approximately 61 percent of the vote.
2012
- See also: State executive official elections, 2012
Five states held scheduled superintendent elections in the 2012 electoral cycle: Indiana, Montana, North Dakota, North Carolina, and Washington. Only North Dakota Superintendent Wayne Sanstead opted not to seek re-election. Kirsten Baesler was elected to succeed Sanstead, while three of the four incumbents were re-elected on November 6, 2012. The exception was Indiana Superintendent Tony Bennett (R), who was defeated by challenger Glenda Ritz (D) in the general election.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'superintendent of schools elections' OR 'state superintendent election' OR 'state superintendent of schools elections' 2016. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Campbell, J. E. (1987) "The revised theory of surge and decline." American Journal of Political Science, 965-979.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Pew Research Center, “Voter turnout always drops off for midterm elections, but why?” July 24, 2014
- ↑ TIME, "Voter Turnout in Midterm Elections Hits 72-Year Low," November 10, 2014
- ↑ NJ.com, "Gov. Chris Christie fires N.J. schools chief Bret Schundler," August 27, 2010
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