Kimberly D. Coward led Gino Collura in the Pasco County School Board District 1 race on Tuesday, Nov. 3, with 68,344 votes (54.9%) to Collura's 56,166 votes (45.1%), according to unofficial results from the Pasco County Supervisor of Elections. The count is not complete, with 124,510 votes counted as of 7:01 p.m. Coward held a margin of 12,178 votes. The seat is being vacated by Al Hernandez, who did not seek reelection.

What was at stake

District 1 covers parts of Wesley Chapel and Land O'Lakes, along with Dade City, Zephyrhills, Saint Leo, San Antonio and Trilby. The school board approves district taxes for schools, sets operational policies, approves curriculum and enters into contracts, according to Lions Pride Online.

The key issues:

  • Collura, a business consultant and security analysis professional, said he would prioritize competitive teacher pay, curbing excessive personal technology use and school safety, WUSF reported in July.
  • Coward, a former guidance counselor with an education doctorate and law degree from the University of Florida, wrote in the Florida Public Media Voter Guide that she supports "data-driven, fiscally responsible" solutions to teacher pay and declining enrollment, according to WUSF.
  • Both candidates ran as nonpartisan (NPA). School board races in Florida are nonpartisan, meaning every registered voter in the county can vote in the race.

A little history

Coward was born in Dade City and attended school there before earning multiple degrees at the University of Florida, according to Lions Pride Online. She served as a judge at MacDill Air Force Base and worked as a policy attorney for the Broward County school district, according to WUSF.

Collura, 40, of San Antonio, is a University of South Florida-educated behavioral scientist and one of Gov. Ron DeSantis' appointees to the Pasco-Hernando State College Board of Trustees, according to WUSF. He earned endorsements from Pasco Superintendent John Legg and outgoing Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco.

Hernandez, a health care executive, held the District 1 seat for four years before stepping down.

What's next

The results remain unofficial until the canvass is complete. Under Florida law, county canvassing boards must file official returns with the Department of State by noon on the 12th day after a general election. A machine recount is required when unofficial returns show a margin of one-half of one percent or less. Coward's margin of 9.8 percentage points is well above that threshold.

Election results: Pasco County School Board - District 1 (Florida General Election, 2026-11-03)

Candidate

Party

Votes

Percent

Kimberly D. Coward

NPA

68,344

54.9%

Gino Collura

NPA

56,166

45.1%

Total

124,510

Source: Pasco County Supervisor of Elections. Results current as of Nov. 3, 2026, 7:01 p.m. EST. Reporting: 0 of 122. Unofficial results; the count is not complete.