Who is running for Hernando County School Board District 1 in 2026?

The Hernando County School Board District 1 race was decided at the 2026 primary - Dana Lynne Pearce won the seat - and does not appear on the November 3, 2026 ballot. 2 candidates were on the primary ballot: Mark Johnson and Dana Lynne Pearce. Candidate information follows official Hernando County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

Hernando County, Florida

Hernando County School Board District 1

Florida › Hernando County › Hernando County School Board District 1

Decided at the 2026 primary — Dana Lynne Pearce won the seat

DECIDED August 18: Dana Pearce won with 52.2 percent, unseating incumbent Mark Johnson, per the Supervisor of Elections' unofficial results. This race will not appear on the November 3 ballot.

Winner

Dana Lynne Pearce

Nonpartisan

Dana Lynne Pearce is the recently retired principal of F.W. Springstead High School with more than 30 years in education, per the Hernando Sun's candidate Q&A.

2026 priorities

Strong academics plus expanded career-technical and arts programs, per the Hernando Sun Q&A
Teacher retention through reduced paperwork and mentorship, per the Hernando Sun Q&A
Protect classroom instruction and student safety in tight budgets, per the Hernando Sun Q&A

Reported fundraising: $5,485 (county campaign-finance filings).

Also ran in the primary

Mark Johnson

Nonpartisan

Profile

Mark Johnson owns a private investigation agency and is the District 1 incumbent, first elected in 2014 and returned to the board in 2022, per the Hernando Sun's candidate Q&A.

Remove programs he calls divisive from schools, per the Hernando Sun Q&A
Support school choice, per the Hernando Sun Q&A
Reduce teacher paperwork burden, per the Hernando Sun Q&A

Verify this race
Candidate roster from official Hernando County Supervisor of Elections filings, last verified 2026-08-19. Bios and priorities carry their attribution inline.
Cross-check with the official Florida Division of Elections, or see the full Hernando County sample ballot and your exact ballot by address.