Duval County School Board incumbent Cindy Pearson has successfully retained her seat after an expensive race against former local Moms For Liberty leader Rebecca “Becky” Nathanson.

The tight race was the closest of four Duval School Board elections. Pearson held on to her seat with 50.9% of the vote, and Nathanson earned 49.1%.

While some mail ballots will be counted in the days ahead, there aren’t enough to reverse the outcome. The results are also outside of recount territory, which would require the margin to be within a half of a percentage point.

Her win comes at a time when the school district is struggling with budgetary restrictions and pending school closures that have enraged parents and community groups across the county.

Last year, Pearson was among a slate of incumbent school board members targeted by Gov. Ron DeSantis to be replaced by new more conservative-leaning candidates.

Nathanson is among a statewide slate of school board candidates endorsed by Gov. DeSantis.

Of the four Duval County School Board races on the ballot this year, Pearson was the only incumbent running for re-election. In 2020, she ran and won in a four-way race during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Duval Teachers United, the union representing teachers and staff, endorsed Pearson.

Beverly Slough and Sue Woltanski, the chairs of St. Johns and Monroe school boards respectively, also contributed to her campaign. She had also garnered the support of Public School Defenders, a local parent advocacy group that seeks to counter Moms For Liberty’s conservative policies.