STUART — For the first time in a dozen years, Martin County School Board District 2 member Marsha Powers is facing a political opponent in the nonpartisan race that will be decided Aug. 20 during Florida’s Primary Election.
Powers, 56, of Stuart, who also is the chief executive officer of the Early Learning Coalition of Indian River, Martin & Okeechobee Counties, Inc., won her first school board race in 2012 by earning 305 more votes than Stuart attorney Anthony George, according to media reports.
She ran unopposed in 2016 and 2020.
“My first election I had a lot to learn as a candidate … and as a school board member. I've gained a whole lot of knowledge and a lot of experience, and as far as my reelection campaign this time,” the fourth-generation Martin County resident said during a July interview.
“I think it's really good to be challenged … candidates should have opposition because in the end, it's no different than having differing viewpoints on a board.”
The challenge, and being challenged, Powers said, “results in better decision-making a lot of times.”
Who is running to unseat Powers?
Her Stuart opponent, 46-year-old education activist and parent Sydney Thomas , in her bid to oust Powers, is calling out what she described as a lack of challenging viewpoints among board members.
“There needs to be an alternative viewpoint up there,” said first-time candidate Thomas, a freelance marketer and former educator who has two children attending Martin County public schools.
“I know I would be able to bring that type of fresh perspective to the school board that we don't have right now.”
Thomas, too, said she’s challenging Powers because she’s “passionate about public education” and seeking a seat on the school board is the “next natural step” in her work advocating for students and teachers.
A native of Indiana, Thomas gained years of education experience in California before moving to Martin County in 2009.
“I was an educator for many years,” Thomas said, who in 2016 was nominated as Martin County teacher of the year while working as a program specialist at Riverbend Academy. “I learned a lot of the district level about educational statute, policy, all the different departments and how they functioned and why.”
She’s also worked with curriculum instruction and in exceptional student education, she said.
Powers in April was briefly challenged by John Millay , a former school Superintendent who ended his campaign two weeks after filing election papers.
It’s the only school board race Martin County voters will see on the primary ballot after Brian Michael Moriarty was elected without opposition to his District 5 seat, replacing Michael DiTerlizzi, who opted not to seek reelection.
Powers’ reelection priorities
Powers in her campaign touts 35 years of work-related experience as a small business owner and various roles in both private business and government. She served as the board's chair in 2020 during the height of the COVID pandemic, and in 2018 she was appointed to a statewide commission created after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland.
If reelected, she said her top priorities include fiscal accountability, school safety, school choice and expanding career technical education and vocational training for students who aren’t college-bound.
“That is a huge thing for me,” Powers said. “School safety is another big issue for me.”
Serving on the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission , she said, was “emotional and challenging” but highly rewarding because of security changes implemented locally and in schools across the state.
“If students and teachers and our staff are not safe, you know, kids can't learn,” she said.
Thomas’ top campaign issues
If elected, Thomas intends to ask for a policy to review some books that she believes were inappropriately removed last year, according to her TCPalm candidate’s questionnair e.
She wants to boost teacher pay and improve the relationship between board members and educators, in part “by making sure our offers to the negotiations are high from the first offer.”
And she’s tapping into her broad, deep ties with teachers in the district to get out her message of bringing a “fresh” voice to the school board.
“I feel very confident that I have an educator vote, and teachers talk to teachers, educators, talk to educators,” Thomas said. “Even other faculty within the district, I have a really good working relationships with pretty much everyone … and that will give me a really strong reach.”
Last year, Thomas helped connect children impacted by the district’s book bans with the filmmakers behind "The ABCs of Book Banning" a documentary that in part told the story of then-101-year-old Grace Linn, of Jensen Beach, who drew social media attention while delivering an impassioned speech to school board members in March 2023.
"It was a cool experience," Thomas said.
Cash advantage
When Powers kicked off her reelection bid in April, she received a surge of donations that left her “overwhelmed at the support,” she said.
“People came out and were very willing to support me financially, but also volunteering their time to help me get reelected,” Powers said. “I'm very humbled and honored that I have such support.”
With more than $54,490 in her campaign account as of July 23, Powers has a huge financial edge over Thomas, who had raised $9,980 during the same period , election records show.
As of July 23, Powers had $45,818 cash on hand, while Thomas had $2,977 in her account.
Thomas, whose grassroots campaign has been partly self-funded and staffed with volunteers, said she expects Powers to raise campaign cash from political allies, including outside the county.
“Between now and the actual vote, I'm fairly sure that Powers is going to be sending out a ton of mailers with that money that she's raised and be reaching more voters with her messaging,” Thomas said. “It definitely has an impact on reach.”
Still, she said her supporters are “as passionate about public education as I am” and she’s reaching residents and changing minds.
“When you line up my experience with her agenda it's very compelling to people and I've changed people's minds, in conversations with them,” Thomas said. “The more people can know about the difference between the two of us, the better chance I have.”
To that end, Powers said she’s running her reelection race “like I’m behind.”
“You just don’t know so … I am running this race like I'm losing. And I think that that's the way I have to,” she said. “It's nonstop from now until Aug. 20.”
MARTIN COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICT 2
Position : School Board member
Term : Four years
Salary : $42,797
Who can vote : All Martin County registered voters
Next steps : The nonpartisan winner on Aug. 20 will be sworn into office during a 4 p.m. school board meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 19.
Marsha Powers, incumbent
Age : 56
Profession : Current Martin County School Board member and chief executive officer of the Early Learning Coalition of Indian River, Martin & Okeechobee Counties, Inc.
Time in office : 12 years on Martin County School Board
Sydney Thomas
Age : 46
Profession : Freelance marketer, former Martin County School District program specialist
Time in office : Would be her first term in elected office
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MC School Board race, District 2: TCPalm Editorial Board recommendation 2024
Melissa E. Holsman is the legal affairs reporter for TCPalm and Treasure Coast Newspapers and is writer and co-host of " Uncertain Terms ," a true-crime podcast. Reach her at melissa.holsman@tcpalm.com . If you are a subscriber, thank you. If not, become a subscriber to get the latest local news on the Treasure Coast.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Martin County School Board incumbent Marsha Powers faces Sydney Thomas on Aug. 20 ballot
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