Progressives Pick Up All 3 Cy-Fair ISD Trustee Seats
Lesley Guilmart, Cleveland Lane Jr. and Kendra Camarena — a slate of pro-public education candidates who support the separation of church and state in public schools — were elected to the Cypress-Fairbanks ISD school board on Tuesday, sending a strong message that residents of the third-largest district in Texas are rejecting far-right ideology in the classroom.
The victory means that incumbents Natalie Blasingame and Scott Henry, the current board president, won’t be returning to the dais. Other hopefuls defeated in Tuesday’s race include Radele Walker, George Edwards Jr. and Elecia Jones. Terrance Edmond, who was on the ballot for Position 5, but dropped out of the race shortly after filing, still received 9,554 votes.
Candidates do not need to win more than 50 percent of the vote to declare victory in this race; the win goes to the candidate with the most votes, and a runoff is not a possibility.
With all 600 precincts reporting at 6 a.m. Wednesday, the following results were posted:
Position 5
Lesley Guilmart: 31,576 votes (50.89 percent)
Radele Walker: 20,922 votes (33.72 percent)
Terrance Edmond: 9,554 votes (15.4 percent)
Position 6
Cleveland Lane Jr.: 28,082 votes (44.79 percent)
Natalie Blasingame: 21,470 votes (34.25 percent)
Scott Henry: 13,141 votes (20.96 percent)
Position 7
Kendra Camarena: 30,446 votes (49.01 percent)
George Edwards Jr.: 23,655 votes (38.08 percent)
Elecia Jones: 8,019 votes (12.91 percent)
Guilmart, who secured victory for the Position 5 seat with 50.89 percent of the vote, said she was “deeply grateful and full of hope.”
“Our community came together across lines of difference, across the political spectrum, to do what’s best for students,” she said in a text message around 6 a.m. Wednesday. “There’s hard work ahead, and we will need folks to continue paying attention, to share their input and to help us get our school district back on track. But for today, let’s celebrate this incredible win for Cy-Fair ISD!”
Lane and Camarena could not be reached for comment early Wednesday morning.
The winners are all parents of currently enrolled Cy-Fair students and have backgrounds in education. Guilmart is a former CFISD teacher and instructional leader for the Harris County Department of Education. She is president of the nonprofit Cypress Families for Public Schools.
Lane is an associate professor at Prairie View A&M University, where he trains future science educators and health professionals. Camarena is a former educator who leads economic development and partnerships in the office of Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones.
All three have voted in Democratic primaries but say they are committed to leaving politics out of the boardroom, as dictated by state law. School board positions are nonpartisan and unpaid.
The race was already contentious before any candidates had filed, as parents and teachers began sounding the alarm about changes to curriculum, specifically removing references to vaccines and climate change. Blasingame led that charge and also supported book bans and having chaplains on school campuses.
She said prior to getting elected in 2021 — her third attempt — that she was called by God to promote the Christian nationalist Seven Mountains mission.
Back in 2021, Blasingame ran on a conservative slate with Henry and Lucas Scanlon, but those friendships grew sour, and it later became public that she’d secretly recorded conversations with Scanlon’s wife. Blasingame’s close friend Damon “Bam” Lenahan threatened to release the tapes if Bethany Scanlon didn’t take down a Facebook post supporting Henry in the school board race.
The Cy-Fair ISD board adopted a policy in September prohibiting board members from recording district administrators, community members or each other without the consent of all involved parties.
It appeared that the trust among board members and with the public was so fractured that the Harris County Republican Party might revoke its endorsement of Blasingame. Precinct chair Judi DeHaan proposed rescinding the endorsement but withdrew the motion when it became clear she didn’t have the support of the party.
Blasingame, Walker and Edwards were also endorsed by Glorious Way Church, where several members also hold positions with the Harris County GOP.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2025.
Related
Reign Bowers is an outdoor enthusiast, adventure seeker, and storyteller passionate about exploring nature’s wonders. As the creator of SuperheroineLinks.com, Reign shares inspiring stories, practical tips, and expert insights to empower others—especially women—to embrace the great outdoors with confidence.
Post Comment