Texas school board candidates win big by opposing critical race theory

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Texas rejected CRT because ‘it does not translate to the American dream’: LJ Francis

LJ Francis, elected to Texas School Board, and Pat Hardy, re-elected to the Texas School Board, share how they hope to combat critical race theory from entering Texas schools.

Voters rejected critical race theory this week in Texas by electing more Republican candidates to the state's board of education.

Two of those winners, L.J. Francis and Pat Hardy, appeared on "Fox & Friends First" Friday to discuss their victories after they campaigned against CRT.

"I think it's absolutely clear that that is the reason why we were successful on Tuesday night. When I started my campaign, I went and I spoke with parents and I listened to the community," Francis said.

"And one thing they were talking about is that they reject critical race theory," he said, adding that the left's so-called "diversity, equity, and inclusion" agenda is not in line with the "American dream." 

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Francis, a Jamaican immigrant, outlined what he believes should be conveyed to children.

"I showed everyone that it doesn't matter where you're from. It matters what you want to achieve and if you work hard, you can achieve these things, without this reliance on race," he told Todd Piro.

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Education in Texas became a hot-button issue in the past few years amid the debates over critical race theory, gender issues and the controversy over certain library books.

Hardy, a longtime social studies teacher, said that "control needs to be on the local level." 

She also argued that it is very important for local school boards to be aware of critical race theory and what’s being taught in public schools.

"I've been a warrior against critical race theory in our schools. I hear it from parents constantly. I get phone calls with very sad comments about what's going on," she said, stressing that she wants children to be taught from a young age about patriotism, "love of country" and to appreciate the sacrifices of American service members. 

Ten Republican candidates won seats on the board Tuesday, compared to five Democrats. 

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The victories underscore the phenomenon of parents across the country paying closer attention to their local school boards by challenging progressive curricula and contesting books they deem to be inappropriate. 

In Florida, candidates who ran on a similar platform and were backed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis were also victorious. 

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Cindy Spray, who won her race in Manatee County, and Jackie Rosario, who won her race in Indian River County, joined "Fox & Friends" Thursday to discuss the impact of the DeSantis endorsement and how it resonated with their constituents. 

"The support I got from Governor DeSantis is what put us over the edge," Spray told co-host Ainsley Earhardt. "His view of how we need to stay back to the basics of education aligned with what I had viewed. And of course, my grandchildren. You have kids in school, you want to make sure that we're getting the education system that we're actually expecting from the public schools back to the basics and… supporting parental rights."