Martin defeats Longacre for Draper-area state school board seat

James Martin, a Democrat, won the Utah State Board of Education District 7 seat with 29,548 votes, or 60.3%, to Republican Erin Longacre's 19,442 votes, or 39.7%, according to unofficial results from Utah Lieutenant Governor's Office, Elections. Martin led by 10,106 votes with all reporting units counted. The result unseats Longacre, who held the District 7 seat since Gov. Spencer Cox appointed her in July 2025.

What was at stake

The Utah State Board of Education sets academic standards, educator licensing policies and graduation requirements for public schools statewide. The board also distributes more than $4 billion in state and federal funding to district and charter schools, according to the Utah Education Association.

District 7 covers the southeast portion of Salt Lake County, which includes Draper.

The key issues:

• Martin, a special education teacher in Granite School District, said in a candidate questionnaire that he opposed using public funds for private schools and called for stronger support of public school budgets.
• Longacre campaigned on reducing testing, supporting teachers and fiscal responsibility, according to her campaign platform.
• Martin also said the Utah Fits All school choice program lacked suitable accountability and that money was being redirected away from public schools.

The winner will help shape funding and standards decisions that affect every public school student in the district.

A little history

Martin, a first-time candidate, holds a doctorate in educational leadership and policy. He has spent 28 years in public education as a teacher, principal, principal supervisor and state board education specialist, according to his candidate questionnaire. He also served as executive director of Wasatch Theatre Company and as a state director for the National Education Association.

Longacre was appointed to the seat on July 29, 2025, after Dr. Molly Hart left to become state superintendent, as ABC4 reported. She previously ran for Canyons School District Board in 2022 and lost. She holds a bachelor's degree in communications from Villanova University.

What's next

The results remain unofficial until the canvass is complete. County officials must finish the canvass by Nov. 17. The state board of canvassers meets Nov. 23. Under Utah law, a candidate may request a state-funded recount when the margin is 0.25% or less of total votes cast. Martin's margin of 20.6 percentage points is well above that threshold. Board members serve four-year terms.

Election results: Utah State Board of Education - District 7 (Utah General Election, 2026-11-03)

Source: Utah Lieutenant Governor's Office, Elections. Results current as of Nov. 3, 2026, 9:05 p.m. MST. Reporting: 1 of 1. Unofficial results; every reporting unit has reported.