Minnesota School Board Candidates to Face Endorsements
Voters in 14 districts will see competing candidate slates in the November 2026 school board elections.
Updated on Oct. 23, 2026 in Administration
Live Poll
Should partisan or labor groups endorse candidates in your local school board elections?
Minnesota voters face a choice between competing candidate slates in the November 2026 school board elections as labor and political groups issue endorsements. These organizations are backing candidates in districts across the state to guide voter decisions on local education policy.
Why it matters
School board elections directly shape district budgets, curriculum, and policies that impact your child's daily school experience. Understanding these endorsements helps residents identify which candidates align with their priorities for their local schools.
Education Minnesota is backing 89 candidates across 27 districts, while the Minnesota Parents Alliance has endorsed 75 candidates in 52 districts. Both groups are competing in 14 districts, with three locations featuring full candidate slates from both organizations.
The players
Minnesota Parents Alliance
A political organization that advocates for specific educational policies and provides training and endorsements for school board candidates.
Education Minnesota
A labor organization representing teachers that engages in candidate vetting and endorsements for public school board elections.
School Board Integrity Project
An advocacy group preparing to release its own list of vetted candidates for the upcoming election cycle.
The details
Political and labor organizations influence local elections by providing training to candidates and releasing preferred lists to guide voter choices. These efforts aim to align board leadership with specific policy priorities. In districts like Prior Lake, voters will see competition between sides, while historical data from the Anoka-Hennepin district shows the impact of these endorsements, where the Minnesota Parents Alliance previously won half the board seats.
Timeline
November 2026 school board elections take place.
The Home Front
The active endorsement cycle reflects a growing trend of organized political and labor involvement in local school governance across the state. This shift marks a departure from traditional non-partisan board elections toward a more structured, competition-based model for district oversight.
Review your specific school district's list of candidates to see if they hold endorsements that align with your family's educational priorities. Check your local election office's website to confirm your polling place and ballot details before the November 2026 election date.
The takeaway
Organized candidate endorsements offer a window into the priorities competing for control of your local school board. Review the candidate lists in your district to ensure your vote reflects your family's values for your children's schooling.
What happens next
The School Board Integrity Project plans to release a forthcoming list of vetted candidates ahead of the November 2026 election.
Further reading
Learn more about local school governance at Administration.
Source note: This article includes information reported by MPR News.
Live Poll
Should partisan or labor groups endorse candidates in your local school board elections?
