Pasco school board races shape up as one incumbent files, another backs out
Tampa Bay Times | Jeffrey S. Solochek | February 4, 2026
The five-member Pasco County school board is certain to have at least two new members sworn in this November, as a second incumbent has announced plans to retire.
Al Hernandez, who won the District 1 seat representing eastern Pasco four years ago, said he won’t seek a second term in order to focus on his family and job with Humana. He joins Cynthia Armstrong, who has served District 3 since 2010, in leaving the board.
“I believe that stepping back for some time will allow me to dedicate more time and attention to my loved ones, which is essential for my well-being and theirs,” Hernandez said late Tuesday in a text message that he planned to post later on his social media.
His widely anticipated announcement came days after Megan Harding, the District 5 incumbent, filed paperwork to pursue her third and final term.
“There is still work to be done,” said Harding, a former district teacher. “I love what I do. It is my whole heart and my passion to serve my community.”
3 seats, 10 candidates
The field for the three seats up for grabs has grown to 10 candidates with the Aug. 18 election just over six months away.
Among the latest round of candidates are national school choice advocate Denisha Allen and past Republican Congressional hopeful Brian Perras in District 1; 2022 school board aspirant Matt Geiger in District 3; and 2024 Republican superintendent contender Michelle Mandarin in District 5.
Other announced candidates are Christopher King and Tanner Alvarado in District 1 and Erin Stroupe, Kirk Phillips and Mollyanna Ward in District 3.
Allen, who has two young children and lives in Wesley Chapel, said she has long wanted to run for a school board position. It fits with her advocacy for school choice that began when she received a Step Up For Students scholarship as a teen in Jacksonville.
She became a voice for the scholarship and voucher movement, sharing her personal story across the state and nation as an example of why school choice matters. She parlayed her role into work with the American Federation for Children, the U.S. Department of Education in the first Donald Trump administration and, most recently as founder of Black Minds Matter, an organization that focuses on eliminating inequities in the education system.
“That’s where my passion lies. It’s for the reform of schools,” said Allen, who serves on the Step Up board of directors. “I’m very hard on public schools because that’s where all of our kids attend. We can provide them with lifelines. I want that.”
Perras, who sometimes works as a substitute teacher, said he’s running because the system needs a “complete overhaul.” He ran as a Trump Republican seeking to oust U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis in 2022, and briefly considered trying to run to the right of U.S. Rep. Laurel Lee in 2024.
“We need to stop indoctrinating and get back to the basics,” said Perras, who was involved in protesting district masking policies during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He spoke of better focusing on the Ten Commandments and the nation’s founding documents, promoting basic life skills and career-technical education, and bringing fresh food from local farmers to school cafeterias. A proponent of better pay for teachers, Perras said he would oppose the district’s tax referendum, instead backing budget cuts.
Matt Geiger
Geiger, who received about 42% of the vote when running against Armstrong four years ago, said he wants to improve teacher recruitment and retention, but does not support the district’s property tax referendum.
He promoted the idea of creating a teacher village of apartments for district employees to live in.
Geiger also called for increased attention to career-technical learning, saying “not every kid needs to go to college,” and suggested a need for more small schools to alleviate crowding in the growth areas of the county.
He touted himself as “the only person in the race with a strong education background.” Most recently he has served as school director of a residential academy at St. Leo University for the Benfica soccer club.
Mandarin, who received 24% of the vote in the 2024 superintendent Republican primary, said she became passionate about public education as she studied to become a U.S. citizen and saw that many things she learned about the nation’s history were not taught in public schools.
“I love this country. I don’t want to see it fail,” said Mandarin, who grew up in Hillsborough County but was a citizen of Uruguay. “Education is the most important part of the foundation of this country.”
She said she would advocate for classical education in schools, and would push for parents to have a stronger voice in the system. Her daughter attends a local charter school. Mandarin also opposes the district’s tax referendum.
“I’ll be a voice of change,” she said. “They need a new fresh set of eyes and a fresh perspective.”
Qualifying takes place in mid-June, though candidates seeking access to the ballot by petition instead of paying the $2,000 filing fee have until May 11 to submit the needed signatures.
