Pasco County School Board incumbent Megan Harding cruised to re-election Tuesday, Aug. 18, taking 72% of the vote in District 5 and avoiding a November election, according to WTSP. But two other board seats remain unsettled, sending Wesley Chapel families into fall with school crowding, phone policy and teacher pay still at issue.
Harding, a former classroom teacher first elected in 2018 and an adjunct instructor at Saint Leo University, defeated challenger Michelle Mandarin, 54,866 votes to 21,202. Mandarin, a parent and podcaster, campaigned on reading proficiency and classroom discipline. Superintendent John Legg endorsed Harding.
The other two races were far less decisive.
District 1: Coward and Collura advance
In District 1, which covers parts of Wesley Chapel and Land O’ Lakes, Kimberly Coward led a four-candidate field with 35.34% (27,208 votes). Gino Collura finished second at 30.99% (23,859 votes). Neither cleared 50%, so both advance to the Nov. 3 general election. Christopher A. King took 20.27%, and Brian Perras received 13.4%.
The seat opened after incumbent Al Hernandez chose not to seek re-election. Coward holds an education doctorate and law degree from the University of Florida and served as a judge at MacDill Air Force Base. Collura, 40, is a business consultant who sits on the Pasco-Hernando State College Board of Trustees as a DeSantis appointee. He was endorsed by Legg and outgoing Sheriff Chris Nocco.
“A huge deciding factor in running is the volume of explosive growth that’s happening in this county,” Collura told WUSF in a July 27 profile of school board candidates.
District 3: Geiger and Ward advance
Matt Geiger, an educator with 20 years of experience in private, public and parochial schools, led the five-candidate District 3 race with 28.83% (22,109 votes). Mollyana Ward, chief strategy officer and co-founder of Wesley Chapel-based IceMann Development and a former president of the Central Florida Association for Family Child Care, finished second at 21.12% (16,193 votes). Ward was endorsed by Legg. They will face off Nov. 3.
Geiger led despite raising less than rival Kirk N. Phillips, who was the primary contributor to his own campaign, which raised more than $50,000. Ward drew substantial support from outside contributors, according to the Hernando Sun. Erin Stroupe finished third with 14,541 votes, 1,652 votes behind Ward.
District 3 includes most of New Port Richey and Holiday. Retiring incumbent Cynthia Armstrong has served on the board since 2010.
Commission race settled
In the Republican primary for County Commission District 4, Lisa Yeager defeated challenger Jonathan Deckard, 62.4% to 37.6%, with 28,527 votes to 17,199. She will face write-in candidate Louie Rodriguez in the Nov. 3 general election.
Yeager was appointed to the seat by Gov. Ron DeSantis in May 2024 following the death of Commissioner Gary Bradford. Deckard, a Marine Corps veteran, ran on curbing overdevelopment and expanding public parks.
Countywide turnout was initially estimated at 21.8%. The Pasco County Supervisor of Elections later reported unofficial turnout of 21.54%. School board races in Florida are nonpartisan and elected countywide, meaning every registered Pasco voter may vote in both Nov. 3 school board races.
