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Adam Cervera easily won reelection Tuesday to the Broward County School Board District 6.
Cervera received more than 54% of the Adam Cervera easily won reelection Tuesday to the Broward County School Board District 6,
according to the county supervisor of elections.
Cervera received more than 54% of the votes to defeat Roberto Fernandez III, who garnered almost 46% of votes, Broward election tallies show. It was a big win for Cervera, who earned his seat in a district stacked with challengers and fought back accusations that he was only an appointed pawn of the Florida governor.
Cervera, who received 38% of the August votes, was appointed to the School Board in the Democratic-leaning county by Gov. Ron DeSantis after the resignation of Brenda Fam. According to Florida Politics, Fam stepped down due to a “toxic working environment.”
The race had featured five candidates in August competing for the seat. With no candidate receiving more than 50% of the August vote, incumbent Cervera and Fernandez faced off Tuesday.
Fernandez III garnered 26%, according to the Broward County Supervisor of Elections.
Cervera has received endorsements from local police and firefighter unions, such as the Broward County Professional Firefighters, Local 4321, as well as the Broward Teachers Union. He raised about $372,000, including a personal loan of $250,000, and spent $179,110. This makes Cervera the most heavily funded school board candidate in the state. He has focused on the district finances, spending and teacher pay in his campaign.
Fernandez, who highlights that he is a veteran and honorably discharged Army reservist, highlighted his 20 years of service in the Broward County Schools. He also said that he has lived in District 6 nearly 30 years. He is a former Florida and Broward Teacher of the Year.
Fernandez raised $55,258, including $15,705 from in-kind contributions and spent $49,510, election records show. His campaign emphasizes tackling the difficult finances, declining enrollment and other challenges public schools face. Fernandez has been endorsed by Sarah Leonardi, the School Board Vice-Chair for Broward County Schools District 3, and State Representatives Michael Gottlieb and Robin Bartleman.
The remaining three candidates and their August vote tallies were Jessie Bastos (22%) Makai Aline Henry (7%) and Lester L. Wilks Jr. (6%).
The school board races come at a time when Broward County Public Schools faces school closures, declining enrollment and a $90 million budget deficit that led the school board to approve cuts that affected 1,000 positions. The district lost nearly five percent of its students between the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years.
Cervera now joins August winners:
-District 1 winner, incumbent Maura McCarthy Bulman. She has served on the School Board since 2024. A longtime Hollywood resident and an attorney, she campaigned for neighborhood schools and more opportunities for students.
-District 4 winner Nicole Morst, who received 60% of the vote in August. Morst will succeed Lori Alhadelff, who did not seek another term. Margate, Coral Springs, Parkland, North Lauderdale and Tamarac all fall under Broward’s District 4.
-District 7 winner Cynthia Alceus Dominique, who received 60% of votes in August. Dominique, a nurse and a U.S. Army veteran, focused on the finances and employee compensation in the district. She said that the district needs to address teacher and support staff pay, such as custodians, bus drivers and cafeteria workers.
-District 8 at-large seat winner, incumbent Allen Zeman who received 55% of the August vote. He is an advocate for artificial intelligence integration, teacher pay and technology. The declining enrollment, he said, is due to changes in demographics and the competition from private and charter schools, vouchers and homeschooling.
Brianna Duardo is a graduate of the Lee Caplin School of Journalism & Media at Florida International University in Miami, where she earned a degree in Digital Journalism.
