Rebecca Thompson is best choice for District 2 seat on Broward County School Board

In Broward County, The County Editorial Board recommends that voters choose Rebecca Thompson for the District 2 seat on the school board. Thompson, 34, is a social worker with extensive experience in local politics. Thompson's website states that she comes from "a long line of teachers." That was her catalyst for becoming a social worker for Broward County Public Schools. For the past year and a half, she has been an aide to Broward County School Board Member Allen Zeman, which she says gives her valuable insight into the impact of school board decisions.

As a first-time candidate, Thompson has raised $32,800 from mostly grassroots sources. She is supported by the Broward Teachers Union and a long list of elected officials including U.S. Representative Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, and State Senators Lauren Book, Jason Pizzo, and Shevrin Jones. Thompson also boasts support from several of her potential colleagues on the school board, including Debbi Hixon and her boss Allen Zeman. Her priorities include expanding mental health services, implementing safety and security initiatives, empowering community voices, and fiscal responsibility.

We largely recommend Thompson on balance and experience. Her opponent, Torey Alston, was appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis to the school board in 2022 following the removal of several members after a scathing grand jury report. He previously represented central Broward on the County Commission through an appointment by the governor in 2022. Alston, 39, has a lengthy resume as well. He is a former K-12 administrator in Miami-Dade County Public Schools and a former Chief of Staff to Broward County Commissioner Barbara Sharief. He also served a stint as the Chief of Staff for the Florida Department of Transportation. Since his appointment, Alston has been a fiery voice on the school board in support of the governor's cultural and political agenda items. However, his affiliation with the conservative group Moms for Liberty has enraged some Broward liberals. For reference, Moms for Liberty is a conservative political organization that "advocates against school curricula that mention LGBT rights, race and ethnicity, critical race theory, and discrimination." The group has been labeled a hate organization by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Just this week, several Democratic elected officials including U.S. Representative Jared Moskowitz and State Representative Daryl Campbell retracted their endorsement of Alston following news of his affiliation with the Moms for Liberty group. While school board elections are nonpartisan, the voters in this district are largely liberal-leaning. All registered voters are allowed to vote in the August 20th, 2024 election for this seat. The winner will serve a four-year term and draw a salary of roughly $47,000 annually.

Endorsements are the viewpoints of The County's Editorial Board members Elijah Manley, and Luc Saint-Genies. Endorsement may or may not reflect the personal beliefs and preferences of individual members of the Editorial Board, or The County's writers.