BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Election Day is on Nov. 5, and this year, incumbent Matt Susin will take on challenger Ava Taylor for the District 4 seat of the Brevard County School Board.
This election is a runoff from August. Susin and Taylor were the top two vote-getters in a four-way race. Susin received 48% of the vote to Taylor’s 33%, but neither candidate got more than 50% of the vote, triggering the runoff.
Recommended Videos
[RESULTS 2024: Complete Coverage | How to vote in the Nov. 5 presidential election]
Meet the candidates
Matt Susin: Website
Matt Susin is a local businessman and former high school teacher who has been a major proponent of parental rights in schools.
He has been endorsed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sheriff Wayne Ivey, School Board Chair Megan Wright, the Florida Education Association, and Moms for Liberty, among several others.
Susin has pushed for school safety, working with the Brevard County sheriff to institute a zero-tolerance discipline policy and adding more armed deputies and security specialists to the schools. He was first elected in 2016.
In addition, Susin is campaigning for a greater emphasis on career and technical education (CTE) to help students get a leg up on experience in high-demand fields. These policies would include working with local businesses and community groups to provide these students — who may not otherwise thrive in a traditional classroom setting — with practical skills to better prepare them for work in these industries or post-secondary education.
Ava Taylor: Website
Ava Taylor is an active member of the U.S. Navy who got into the race after her son was the victim of a hazing incident at a Brevard County high school.
She accused the school district of being too busy focusing on partisan distractions and controlling the narrative rather than investigating with transparency and integrity.
Taylor was also endorsed by Educated We Stand, a new political action committee founded by former Brevard County School Board member Jennifer Jenkins that seeks to counteract conservative school board candidates. She also supports the school guardian program as part of school safety policy.
As part of her campaign, Taylor is pushing for more transparency on the school board, eliminating “unequal disciplinary practices,” and increasing staff retention in Brevard County schools.