Member, State Board of Education, District 5

Mica Arellano

Republican

On ballot as: Mica Arellano
Current role: Not found
Background: "30-year educator" and "not a career politician" (per campaign)
Experience: Not found
Top priorities: School safety: "Every child deserves to learn in a secure, structured environment"
Academics: "Return to strong, measurable curriculum standards"
Teachers: "Support and retain great educators by reducing burnout"
Parents: "Parents are not spectators—they are partners"
Spending: "Every tax dollar should be focused on students and classrooms—not wasted on unnecessary bureaucracy"
Tidbits: Curriculum and instructional materials: Campaign site: "Return to strong, measurable curriculum standards that prepare students for real academic and career success."
Library books: No public statement found
School funding and bonds: Campaign site: "Every tax dollar should be focused on students and classrooms—not wasted on unnecessary bureaucracy."
Vouchers / school choice: No public statement found
Endorsements: None found in our research
Campaign website: micatx.com

Allison Bush

Democratic

On ballot as: Allison Bush
Current role: Works with Texas school districts through a construction management firm on facility needs and school bonds (per campaign)
Background: Associate degree, Kilgore College
Bachelor's degree, Stephen F. Austin State University
More than 25 years of experience as a teacher, counselor, administrator and education foundation leader (per campaign)
Lives in Pflugerville (per campaign)
Experience: Former executive director, Pflugerville Education Foundation (per campaign)
Former partnerships coordinator, Bastrop ISD and the Bastrop Education Foundation (per campaign)
Former Bastrop ISD PTA Council president and regional PTA president (2009–2011) (per campaign)
Democratic primary runoff (May 26, 2026): won, 61 percent
Top priorities: Teachers: "policies that reduce paperwork, provide resources, improve retention, and restore dignity to the teaching profession"
Funding: "All schools receiving taxpayer dollars—whether traditional public or charter—must be held to the same high academic standards"
Classrooms: "protect accurate history, age-appropriate health education, and safe schools"
Says academic standards "must reflect the expertise of educators and subject matter professionals"
Tidbits: Curriculum and instructional materials: Campaign FAQ: wants to "ensure review committees are led by qualified educators using evidence-based materials"
Library books: Campaign FAQ: "State overreach and political mandates—book bans, curriculum fights, and one-size-fits-all rules—undermine local decision-making and strain communities."
School funding and bonds: Campaign FAQ: "The most pressing issue facing my constituents is chronic underfunding."
Vouchers / school choice: Campaign FAQ: "Public funds — including vouchers — must strengthen classrooms, not corporate profits."
Endorsements: Texas AFL-CIO
Texas AFT
Texas State Teachers Association
Austin Central Labor Council
Austin American-Statesman Editorial Board
Show all 83
The Austin Chronicle (listed by campaign)
Liberal Austin Democrats (listed by campaign)
Black Austin Democrats (listed by campaign)
Northeast Travis County Democrats (listed by campaign)
Asian American Democrats of Texas (listed by campaign)
Austin Community College Student Democrats (listed by campaign)
Austin Environmental Democrats (listed by campaign)
Austin Young Democrats (listed by campaign)
Central Austin Democrats (listed by campaign)
Circle C Area Democrats (listed by campaign)
Education Austin (listed by campaign)
Grandparents for Public Schools (listed by campaign)
Hays Young Dems (listed by campaign)
LiUNA Laborers' Local Union 1095 (listed by campaign)
LiUNA Southwest Laborers District Council (listed by campaign)
Mothers Against Greg Abbott (listed by campaign)
NxNW Democrats (listed by campaign)
Pflugerville Area Democrats (listed by campaign)
South Austin Democrats (listed by campaign)
Stonewall Democrats of Austin (listed by campaign)
Texas State Dems (listed by campaign)
University Democrats (listed by campaign)
Williamson County Young Democrats (listed by campaign)
Rebecca Bell-Metereau, State Board of Education – D5 Board Member (listed by campaign)
Lynn Boswell, Austin ISD Trustee (listed by campaign)
Greg Casar, U.S. Congressman (listed by campaign)
Jonathan Coffman, Pflugerville City Councilman (listed by campaign)
Ana Cortez, Manor ISD Trustee (listed by campaign)
Paige Ellis, Austin City Councilwoman (listed by campaign)
Johnny Flores, Hays CISD Trustee (listed by campaign)
Andrew Gonzales, Austin ISD Trustee (listed by campaign)
Vikki Goodwin, Texas House Representative (listed by campaign)
Elvia Guadian, Del Valle ISD Trustee (listed by campaign)
Seah Hassan, Austin Community College Board of Trustees (listed by campaign)
Kimberly Holiday, Pflugerville Mayor Pro Tem (listed by campaign)
Candace Hunter, Austin ISD Trustee (listed by campaign)
Steve Jackobs, Austin Community College Board Trustee (listed by campaign)
Chevonne Lorgio-Johst, Pflugerville ISD Trustee (listed by campaign)
Yelacia Love, Elgin City Councilwoman (listed by campaign)
Jean Mayer, Pflugerville ISD Trustee (listed by campaign)
Rudy Metayer, Pflugerville City Councilman (listed by campaign)
Julie Ann Nitsch, Austin Community College Board of Trustees (listed by campaign)
Tonya Nixon, Travis County Constable Precinct 1 (listed by campaign)
Esperanza Orozco, Hays CISD Trustee (listed by campaign)
Zohaib “Zo” Qadri, Austin City Councilman (listed by campaign)
LaRessa Quintana, Austin ISD Trustee (listed by campaign)
Ceasar Ruiz, Pflugerville City Councilman (listed by campaign)
Brigid Shea, Travis County Commissioner, Precinct 2 (listed by campaign)
Arati Singh, Austin ISD Trustee (listed by campaign)
Anna Smith, Leander ISD Trustee (listed by campaign)
Mike Siegel, Austin City Councilman (listed by campaign)
Charlie Torres, Pflugerville ISD Trustee (listed by campaign)
Jeff Travillion, Travis County Commissioner, Precinct 1 (listed by campaign)
José Velásquez, Austin City Councilman (listed by campaign)
Doug Weiss, Mayor of Pflugerville (listed by campaign)
Lauren White, Lake Travis ISD Trustee (listed by campaign)
Erin Zwiener, Texas House Representative (listed by campaign)
Gary Bledsoe, Fmr. TCDP Chair and NAACP State President (listed by campaign)
Cecelia Burke, Fmr. Travis County Tax Assessor (listed by campaign)
David Butts, Precinct Chair 116 (listed by campaign)
Bruce Elfant, Fmr. Travis County Tax Assessor (listed by campaign)
Patti Everitt, Board Member, Our Schools Our Democracy (listed by campaign)
Carol Fletcher, Fmr. Pflugerville ISD Trustee (listed by campaign)
Clint Fletcher, Fmr. Board Member Pflugerville Education Foundation (listed by campaign)
Hedi Gibbons, Precinct Chair 230 (listed by campaign)
Victor Gonzales, Fmr. Mayor of Pflugerville (listed by campaign)
Abigail Gray, Education Podcast Host, Fmr. SBOE Candidate (listed by campaign)
Carrie Griffith, Executive Director of Our Schools Our Democracy (listed by campaign)
Ann Heuberger, Former Del Valle ISD Trustee (listed by campaign)
Dock Jackson, Fmr. Bastrop City Council Member (listed by campaign)
Kevin Jackson, Educator, Fmr. SBOE Candidate (listed by campaign)
Raul 'Neto' Longoria, Workers Defense Project, Fmr. SBOE Candidate (listed by campaign)
Tom McDonald, Precinct Chair 380 (listed by campaign)
George Morales, Fmr. Travis County Constable, Precinct 4 (listed by campaign)
Saudra Ragona, President, East Travis County Democrats (listed by campaign)
Claire Reynolds, US Congress Candidate (listed by campaign)
Caitlin Rourk, US Congress Candidate (listed by campaign)
Pooja Sethi, Former TCDP Chair, Texas House Representative Candidate (listed by campaign)
Campaign website: allisonfortx.com