One race for the Lee County School Board was decided on Aug. 23 in the Primary Election, while the top vote-getters in the remaining three races will move forward to November to face one another.

Challenger Armor Persons beat out incumbent Gwynetta Gittens for the District 5 seat.

Meanwhile, the following candidates gained enough votes to secure a top spot in their race and proceed on to the General Election on Nov. 8: Sam Fisher and Kathy Fanny for District 1; Dan Severson and incumbent Debbie Jordan for District 4; and Jada Langford Fleming and Denise Nystrom for District 6.

Cape Coral voters will be able to cast a ballot in November in either the District 1 or District 4 race, depending on where they reside, as well as the at-large District 6 race.

District 1

The District 1 primary was decided by voters who live in the district, which includes Sanibel and Captiva and parts of Cape Coral, North Fort Myers and Pine Island.

Fisher came in first with 43.82 percent or 12,169 votes, followed by Fanny with 24.83 percent or 6,896 votes. Third went to Christine DeVigili with 16.32 percent or 4,531 votes, and Cathy Stout came in fourth with 15.03 percent or 4,175 votes.

“I’m excited by the support of the voters to move on in November,” Fisher said, adding that he ran for the students and with the support of Gov. Ron DeSantis will empower parents to put children first.

He thanked the voters, his family and friends, campaign team and challengers.

“They’re very good people. They ran a good race,” Fisher said. “I was honored to run alongside them.”

Fanny shared that she is “very happy” with the election results.

“Because politics, it has no business being on the school board,” she said. “We need to do the best thing for the students and the teachers. Our schools deserve so much more than what they’re getting from this election.”

Fanny voiced support for the current school board.

“One parent’s right cannot override the rights of other parents,” she said. “We are a public school. It is our job to meet everybody’s needs and that’s what I’m all about.”

Fanny thanked her supporters.

“I came in as a complete unknown and people have listened to me and believe in me and I can’t thank them enough,” she said. “This is my passion and I’m in it for the kids and the teachers and the community, and working together to make our school district better.”

DeVigili extended her congratulations to Fisher and Fanny.

“I look forward to an exciting General Election,” she said. “Hopefully, we elect the right person that will be able to make the changes necessary for the kids of Lee County.”

DeVigili thanked those who put their support in her.

“We fought a good right,” she said. “And although we did not come out victorious, this is not the end. I can promise you that.”

Stout shared that she is not disappointed by her loss.

“I think it’s another chapter for me. I’m not going away. I think we need to work as a team,” she said, noting that she has been in communications with the other candidates and hopes to collaborate.

“I’m not thrilled, I’m not happy. But I wish I was able to meet our great governor,” Stout added. “I think it would have been a little bit different if he had heard from all of the candidates.”

She called it a “great journey.”

“I met amazing families and children, and that’s what I was always about,” Stout said.

She extended her thanks to her supporters and family

“I also want to thank my husband for putting out all of my signs. He was my rock. And my children, of course,” Stout said, adding her appreciation for the hard work put in by her campaign strategist.

District 4

The District 4 primary was decided by voters who live in the district, which includes parts of Cape Coral, North Fort Myers and Dunbar.

Severson came in first with 33.11 percent or 6,472 votes, followed by Jordan with 30.70 percent or 6,001 votes. Third went to Jason “Big Mama” Jones with 23.18 percent or 4,532 votes, and Gerri Ware came in fourth with 13.01 percent or 2,544 votes.

“We ran a grassroots campaign to this point,” Severson said of the election results. “Debbie Jordan and I were the only two to get onto the ballot by petition.”

He spoke of getting back to the basics in the classroom and keeping students safe.

“I think I spoke to the heart of that issue,” Severson said.

He explained that Jordan and he have “two very different ideologies” to pick from in November.

Severson also thanked his supporters.

“I just want to thank everyone who took the time to vote,” he said. “I look forward to the contest here as we go forward and the exchange of ideas. I think it’ll be a good race.”

Jordan expressed her appreciation for her district.

“I have been working very hard in the district. Moving forward, I’m going to continue to work and do the job I was put in there to do four years ago,” she said, explaining that she will continue to knock on doors and do the work that has to be done to bring it home in November.

“I thank them for this opportunity again,” Jordan added of her district. “I will not let them down.”

She offered her thanks to voters and her campaign team.

“The one that I have, it may be small, but it is definitely mighty,” Jordan said. “One person cannot do this alone, it takes a team. Together we can make anything happen.”

Jones shared that he hopes the November winner will have the students’ best interests in mind.

“I fought a hard, good, clean campaign, and the people have spoken. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out in my favor,” he said. “I wish the best of luck to Dan Severson.”

Jones expressed his appreciation to his supporters.

“I want to thank all of the people who supported me — my wife, my family, and the sheriff for endorsing me,” he said.

Ware pointed to the school district’s new redistricting map approved last year.

“I anticipated it because of the map that was accepted by the school board,” she said of her loss. “It was unfair for the (county) commissioners to do it, and it was twice as unfair for the school board — that didn’t have to use it — to go and use it for their map.”

“It was set up for failure, for any minority running for office out of District 4 to be successful,” Ware added.

She reported that the new map includes part of the Cape and North Fort Myers, which is not consistent with Dunbar in Fort Myers, where the bulk of the population is Hispanic and black and not well off.

“We’ve got to have someone who’s sensitive to the needs of all of the people, and I just don’t think that’s where this board is. Which makes that very unfair to us,” Ware said, adding that she had hoped Gittens would retain her District 5 seat.

She expressed her appreciation to those who voted for her.

“Your vote has power, please continue to vote. If you’re persistent, change will come,” Ware said. “I don’t want them to be discouraged because I will continue to advocate for our children.”

District 6

District 6 is an at-large seat, meaning all voters in Lee County could cast a ballot.

Fleming came in first with 38.97 percent or 44,985 votes, followed by Nystrom with 35.92 percent or 41,464 votes. Third went to Tia Collin with 25.10 percent or 28,972 votes.

“I feel great,” Fleming said, calling the turnout of support for her an indicator that she earned the trust of voters in Lee County during the primary. “I’m speechless with the amount of support that has surrounded me through this campaign.”

She said she will continue to push forward and work hard heading into November.

“I worked really hard on this campaign when I entered the race,” Fleming said, noting that she will continue to meet with community members. “Because their concerns are what matter to me.”

She extended her appreciation to her supporters.

“So many volunteers, so many people who have donated to the campaign and donated to the cause,” Fleming said, adding that they stood by her in putting local children first as far as education.

“I’m just actually totally excited,” Nystrom said, adding that she had been getting positive feedback about her campaign in recent weeks. “So it’s good to know I’m going on to the General Election.”

She and her team will get together to strategize in the coming days.

“I’ve been working really really hard and that’s what I’m going to keep on doing,” Nystrom said.

She described her ability to connect with people as one of her biggest assets.

“In the end, it’s really about getting people to know who you are and what you do,” Nystrom said. “I got into this race for all the right reasons. I think I can use my knowledge to do really good things for the students of Lee County.”

Collin described running for office as “quite an experience.”

“I am proud of the campaign that I ran. I am very grateful for all of the people who voted for me and believed in me and supported my campaign,” she said. “I’m excited to see what great things the incoming school board will do.”

District 5

The District 5 primary was decided by voters who live in the district, which includes mostly Lehigh Acres and part of North Fort Myers.

Persons garnered the most votes with 8,232 or 55.09 percent, compared to the 6,712 votes or 44.91 percent for Gittens, the incumbent. By securing 50 percent of the votes plus one more vote, Persons won the election.

“I and my whole family are so excited,” he said. “We ran a nice clean campaign.”

Persons said his first priority upon taking up the seat will be to focus on raising test scores countywide to where they should be. He also cited increasing transparency within the budget as another focus.

Persons thanked his wife and family, as well as his supporters.

“I’d be very remiss if I did not thank Gov. Ron DeSantis and his team,” he added. “Not only did they endorse me, they spent a lot of effort helping my campaign.”

Gittens shared that she was not surprised by her loss.

“I don’t know if people knew how serious this race was,” she said, adding that it leaves her with angst knowing there will no longer be a minority representative on the board. “Now we have none.”

Gittens wished Persons the best.

“They’re going to realize running for school board and being on the school board are two entirely different things. The time and effort you put in will reflect on what the children get,” she said, noting that she is concerned there are so many new people with agendas.

“I taught in the system for 12 years and then sat on the board for 3 1/2 years. The depth of knowledge and understanding that I have on these issues will go away,” Gittens said. “I just hope in the three months that I have left that he will watch and listen and learn. We have been a forgotten district for so long.”

She thanked those who supported and believed in her.

“I will still fight for education and the children and what’s right,” Gittens said.

All election results are unofficial until certified.

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to include additional quotes from candidates.