Edgewood ISD Ousts Three Incumbent Trustees

Four Unity 37 Coalition challengers won seats on the Edgewood school board in the November midterm election.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Administration

Edgewood ISD Ousts Three Incumbent Trustees

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Edgewood ISD Board President James Hernandez, Board Secretary Frank Espinosa, and Trustee Richard Santoyo lost their seats in the November 3, 2026 midterm election. Four challengers affiliated with the Unity 37 Coalition were elected in their place, while incumbent Michael Valdez retained his seat.

Why it matters

The defeated trustees had served on the Edgewood board for about a decade, so the turnover marks a substantial change in local school governance in San Antonio. The result follows years of state control and an appointed board, shifting leadership to elected members.

Three of four incumbent Edgewood ISD trustees lost in the November 3, 2026 midterm, while four newcomers affiliated with the Unity 37 Coalition were elected. The defeated incumbents had been affiliated with the board for roughly a decade, and the vote margins were not reported.

The players

James Hernandez

Edgewood ISD Board President who was elected to the board in 2016 and lost his seat in the November 2026 election.

Michael Valdez

Edgewood ISD trustee who joined the board in 2022 and was the only incumbent to retain his seat in the 2026 midterm.

Unity 37 Coalition

A nonprofit whose affiliated candidates won four Edgewood ISD board seats in the November 2026 election.

The details

James Hernandez was first elected to the board in 2016, when Espinosa and Santoyo were appointed to the Board of Managers while Edgewood was under state control. Michael Valdez, who joined in 2022 after running unopposed, was the only incumbent to keep his seat; his mother, Melody Herrera, serves on the board of the Unity 37 Coalition nonprofit.

2016: Hernandez elected; Espinosa and Santoyo appointed to the Board of Managers.
2022: Valdez joins the board after running unopposed.
2025: Fellow trustees censor Valdez for speaking to journalists instead of routing comment through the board president.
November 3, 2026: Midterm election defeats three incumbents and seats four challengers.

Legal Context

The turnover follows Edgewood's 2016 transition from state control under an appointed Board of Managers to elected trustees. The change places the 2026 election in the context of the district's recovery from state oversight.

Edgewood ISD families and San Antonio residents will see a new board set policy for the district. Voters should expect the new trustees to take up district governance matters when they are sworn in.

The takeaway

Local school board elections can reshape district leadership quickly, so following trustee races and their outcomes helps residents understand who governs their schools.