Equality Florida Action PAC Joins SPLC Action Fund to Launch Historic School Board Mail Campaign
This comes as part of a nearly $400,000 total investment between the two groups in Florida school board races through mail, digital ads, and direct voter contact
St. Petersburg, Fla. — Equality Florida Action PAC and the SPLC Action Fund today announced a historic $250,000 statewide direct mail program supporting pro-equality, pro-academic freedom candidates in critical Florida school board races. The mail program, launched independently of any candidate or committee and not approved by any candidate, comes as part of a nearly $400,000 total investment in school board races statewide through mail, digital ads, and direct voter contact.
The mail investment, the largest school board mail program in the SPLC Action Fund’s and Equality Florida Action PAC’s histories, will deliver more than 300,000 pieces of mail to over 200,000 voters across Florida. The program aims to help voters identify which candidates are committed to getting politics out of the classroom and to recentering schools away from censorship and back toward student success.
Since 2021, Gov. Ron DeSantis and the far right have elevated groups like Moms for Liberty as the face of Florida education politics, providing resources and political capital to candidates running on a platform to censor curriculum, ban books, and demonize the teachers and public schools communities depend on. But in 2024, Equality Florida Action PAC and its partners defeated 76% of Moms for Liberty-backed school board candidates. The Florida Trib reports that Moms for Liberty “has not made any contributions to local school board candidates across Florida and is poised to be just a minor player this cycle.”
“Together, we can fire Moms for Liberty, get politics out of our classrooms, and elect public school champions who believe in our teachers and will fight for the safety and dignity of every student,” said Joe Saunders, Executive Director of Equality Florida Action PAC. “When we organize, invest, and stand with candidates who believe every child deserves to be protected and every family deserves to be respected, we win. Floridians want school boards focused on academic excellence—this year we’re bringing an end to the extremism and sideshows. It’s time to move on from Moms for Liberty.”
The mail program will support 13 candidates running in key school board races across seven Florida counties:
- Orange: Angie Gallo, Melissa Marantes, Gloria O’Neal, and Susanna Peña
- Hillsborough: Karen Perez
- Palm Beach: Christina Romelus
- Sarasota: Jimmy Glover, Beth Mayberry, and Megan Tennimon
- Pinellas: Nancy Velardi
- Seminole: Kristine Kraus and Autumn Garick
- Osceola: Greg Filak
This historic mail program builds on recent pro-equality momentum and reflects Equality Florida Action PAC’s and the SPLC Action Fund’s broader 2026 electoral strategy to protect public education and defeat extremism. The total investment in school board races from the groups also includes:
- Over 250 volunteers going door to door at more than 40 school board field canvasses
- Over 300,000 text messages educating priority voters and reminding them to vote
- Over 290,000 voters reached through four weeks of digital ads
“Moms for Liberty and the far right have suffered a string of embarrassing defeats across the country in recent years, evidence that voters are tired of the agenda of chaos and censorship in schools,” said Brandon Jones, director of political campaigns, SPLC Action Fund. “Florida’s future depends on its ability to offer young people the highest possible quality of education. To do so, Florida’s students and families need school board representatives who are committed to improving learning outcomes, ensuring classrooms remain welcoming spaces, supporting educators in their practice, and preparing young people for the next phases of their lives. This campaign aims to remind voters which candidates truly stand on the side of students.”
Paid political advertisement paid for by Equality Florida Action PAC, 15257 Amberly Dr., Ste. 382, Tampa, FL 33647 independently of any candidate or committee. This advertisement was not approved by any candidate.
About the SPLC Action Fund
SPLC Action Fund is a catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond, working in partnership with communities to dismantle white supremacy, strengthen intersectional movements and advance the human rights of all people. For more information, visit www.splcactionfund.org.
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