Who is running for Hernando County School Board District 5 in 2026?

Hernando County School Board District 5: 2026 Candidates & Ballot

2 candidates are tracked for Hernando County School Board District 5, headed to a November 3, 2026 runoff: Kara Leigh Champion and Susan Duval. Candidate information follows official Hernando County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

August 18 result: Kara Champion (38.96 percent) and incumbent Susan Duval (38.95 percent), separated by three votes, advance to a November 3 runoff, per the Supervisor of Elections' unofficial results; the pairing is subject to the canvass.

Kara Leigh Champion

Nonpartisan

Kara Leigh Champion is a local business owner, lifelong Floridian, and mother, per the Hernando Sun's candidate Q&A.

2026 priorities

Parental choice and transparency in school decisions, per the Hernando Sun Q&A
Teacher retention through less bureaucracy and stronger classroom discipline, per the Hernando Sun Q&A
Back to fundamentals: reading, writing, math, and civics, per the Hernando Sun Q&A

Reported fundraising: $28,796 (county campaign-finance filings).

Susan Duval

Nonpartisan · Incumbent

Susan Duval is a career educator with a bachelor's in social science education, a master's in administration, and an educational specialist degree from USF; she is the District 5 incumbent, first elected in 2014, per the Hernando Sun's candidate Q&A.

2026 priorities

Continuous improvement through a shared board focus, per the Hernando Sun Q&A
Teacher recruitment via programs like Para to Pro, per the Hernando Sun Q&A
Funding well-qualified classroom instruction, per the Hernando Sun Q&A

Reported fundraising: $2,815 (county campaign-finance filings).