Conservatives Win School Board Seats in Maryland Counties

Conservative candidates won several rural Maryland school board races on election night, while union-endorsed candidates held only some seats.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Administration

Conservatives Win School Board Seats in Maryland Counties

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Conservative school board candidates won seats in Somerset, Frederick, Harford and Talbot counties on election night, backed in part by roughly $40,000 in midterm donations from the 1776 Project PAC. Results remain preliminary as mail-in and provisional ballots are still being counted.

Why it matters

The outcomes could give conservatives a majority on the Somerset County board and shift policy debates in several Maryland districts. Candidates endorsed by the Maryland State Education Association won only two of six Harford County races.

Harford County's 1776 Project-backed candidates appeared headed to win four of six districts, while MSEA-endorsed candidates won two. Talbot County's Mike Butler held 69% of the vote midday Wednesday, but the count remains preliminary.

The players

1776 Project PAC

A political action committee that spent about $40,000 supporting conservative school board candidates in Maryland's midterm campaigns.

Maryland State Education Association

The state's teachers union, whose endorsed candidates won only two of six Harford County races.

Matthew Lankford

Chair of the Somerset County school board, who faces a removal effort launched by the Somerset Education Association.

The details

Conservative candidates were elected in Somerset, Frederick, Harford and Talbot counties. In Harford County, the board had earlier tried to ban the young adult book 'Flamer' from school libraries, a move a circuit court judge reversed by upholding the state's decision to keep it available.

Aug. 2026: Somerset Board Chair Matthew Lankford dressed down a teachers union president at a board meeting.
Oct. 2026: A Harford County Circuit Court judge upheld the state's decision allowing 'Flamer' in school libraries.
Nov. 4, 2026: Election night, when conservative candidates won multiple Maryland school board races.
Nov. 5, 2026: Officials continue counting mail-in ballots.

Culture Shift

The 1776 Project PAC's midterm spending on school board races reflects a broader push by conservative groups to contest local education boards in Maryland. Election-night wins in Somerset, Frederick, Harford and Talbot counties show that effort producing tangible results.

Maryland residents in affected counties may see changes in school board policy, including library materials and disciplinary matters. Final results will be clearer once mail-in and provisional ballots are counted.

The takeaway

Local school board races often draw less attention than statewide contests but directly shape curriculum and library access. Residents who want to follow outcomes should track certified results from their county boards of elections.