Texas Ballot Compare

General election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Nonpartisan voter guide · Texas

Member, State Board of Education, District 8

Race · November 3, 2026 general election

State of Texas
Vote for oneResearched · fact-checked
Audrey G. YoungAudrey G. YoungRepublican Incumbent
Dana Van De WalkerDana Van De WalkerDemocratic
On ballot as
AUDREY G. YOUNG
DANA VAN DE WALKER
Current role
Member, Texas State Board of Education, District 8, Chair, Committee on Instruction
Oversees student program at Lone Star College
Background
  • Ed.D.
  • Bachelor's, Master's and Ed.S. degrees, from Stephen F. Austin
  • Served six years on the Apple Springs ISD Board of Trustees
  • B.A. and M.A. in political science, Illinois State University
  • Ed.D. in Higher Education Leadership, Sam Houston State University
Experience
  • Chair, State Board of Education Committee on Instruction
  • Elected to the SBOE, November 2020
  • Executive director of student support services and special education, Nacogdoches ISD (retired)
  • Former speech therapist, reading specialist and administrator
  • Taught ESL in South Korea
  • Chinju National University of Education and Daegu University
  • International education at Sam Houston State from 2015
Top priorities
  • "Dyslexia and Literacy"
  • "Keep conservative Texas values at the heart of Texas public education"
  • "Career and Technical Education," citing "the importance of agricultural and career training for public school students"
  • "Upholding the essential Constitutional value of separation of church and state"
  • "Equitable access to education for all Texans, regardless of immigration status"
  • "Opposition to school vouchers"
  • "Student preparedness for college, career, and military"
Tidbits
  • Curriculum and instructional materials: "Dr. Young joined with other conservative Republicans to reject Science TEKS, Health TEKS, and textbooks which sought liberal indoctrination of Texas public school students."
  • Library books: No public statement found
  • School funding and bonds: No public statement found
  • Vouchers / school choice: No public statement found
  • Curriculum and instructional materials: In a Ballotpedia survey: "religion has no place in our public schools and will fight to remove the Ten Commandments and any religiously-influenced curriculum"
  • Library books: "I am also fiercely opposed to book bans."
  • School funding and bonds: "we need to prioritize investing in public schools, including incentivizing teachers to stay"
  • Vouchers / school choice: "school vouchers take money away from the neediest school districts and disproportionately impact students from low socioeconomic backgrounds" [
Endorsements
  • Texas Home School Coalition (THSC)
  • Texas Alliance for Life (primary)
  • Houston Chronicle Editorial Board (primary)
  • Texas AFT
  • Secular Houston
  • Texas AFL-CIO
  • Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation
  • Houston Chronicle Editorial Board
Show all 14
  • Texas Progressive Caucus
  • Asian American Democrats of Texas
  • Bay Area Democratic Movement
  • Moms Demand Action
  • Harris County Young Democrats
  • Center for Freethought Equality
  • Area 5 Democrats
  • Harris County Tejano Democrats
  • Dems of La Porte
Campaign website
sboe8.com
dana4txsboe8.com
Audrey G. Young

Audrey G. Young

Republican Incumbent
On ballot as
AUDREY G. YOUNG
Current role
Member, Texas State Board of Education, District 8, Chair, Committee on Instruction
Background
  • Ed.D.
  • Bachelor's, Master's and Ed.S. degrees, from Stephen F. Austin
  • Served six years on the Apple Springs ISD Board of Trustees
Experience
  • Chair, State Board of Education Committee on Instruction
  • Elected to the SBOE, November 2020
  • Executive director of student support services and special education, Nacogdoches ISD (retired)
  • Former speech therapist, reading specialist and administrator
Top priorities
  • "Dyslexia and Literacy"
  • "Keep conservative Texas values at the heart of Texas public education"
  • "Career and Technical Education," citing "the importance of agricultural and career training for public school students"
Tidbits
  • Curriculum and instructional materials: "Dr. Young joined with other conservative Republicans to reject Science TEKS, Health TEKS, and textbooks which sought liberal indoctrination of Texas public school students."
  • Library books: No public statement found
  • School funding and bonds: No public statement found
  • Vouchers / school choice: No public statement found
Endorsements
  • Texas Home School Coalition (THSC)
  • Texas Alliance for Life (primary)
  • Houston Chronicle Editorial Board (primary)
Campaign website
sboe8.com
Dana Van De Walker

Dana Van De Walker

Democratic
On ballot as
DANA VAN DE WALKER
Current role
Oversees student program at Lone Star College
Background
  • B.A. and M.A. in political science, Illinois State University
  • Ed.D. in Higher Education Leadership, Sam Houston State University
Experience
  • Taught ESL in South Korea
  • Chinju National University of Education and Daegu University
  • International education at Sam Houston State from 2015
Top priorities
  • "Upholding the essential Constitutional value of separation of church and state"
  • "Equitable access to education for all Texans, regardless of immigration status"
  • "Opposition to school vouchers"
  • "Student preparedness for college, career, and military"
Tidbits
  • Curriculum and instructional materials: In a Ballotpedia survey: "religion has no place in our public schools and will fight to remove the Ten Commandments and any religiously-influenced curriculum"
  • Library books: "I am also fiercely opposed to book bans."
  • School funding and bonds: "we need to prioritize investing in public schools, including incentivizing teachers to stay"
  • Vouchers / school choice: "school vouchers take money away from the neediest school districts and disproportionately impact students from low socioeconomic backgrounds" [
Endorsements
  • Texas AFT
  • Secular Houston
  • Texas AFL-CIO
  • Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation
  • Houston Chronicle Editorial Board
Show all 14
  • Texas Progressive Caucus
  • Asian American Democrats of Texas
  • Bay Area Democratic Movement
  • Moms Demand Action
  • Harris County Young Democrats
  • Center for Freethought Equality
  • Area 5 Democrats
  • Harris County Tejano Democrats
  • Dems of La Porte
Campaign website
dana4txsboe8.com

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