The Ballot Brief
Hernando County, Florida

Hernando County School Board District 5

Champion and Duval are on the November 3, 2026 ballot. Names follow official Hernando County election filings.

About this race

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.

What this office does

School board member. The school board is the governing body of a public school district. It hires and evaluates the superintendent, adopts the district budget, sets policies on curriculum, discipline, attendance boundaries and facilities, and approves contracts and collective bargaining agreements. Day-to-day operations belong to the superintendent; the board sets direction and holds the administration accountable.

This race. Nonpartisan: candidates appear without party labels. The sitting officeholder, Susan Duval, is on the ballot.

We use AI to research and write election information. Errors are possible. Verify important details with official sources.

Florida › Hernando County › Hernando County School Board District 5

Kara Leigh Champion

Nonpartisan

Top priorities

From other published sources

  • 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
Biography

Kara Leigh Champion is a 2020 University of Central Florida graduate who lists the family business, American Gun and Pawn, as her primary source of income, per WUSF. She has a stepdaughter in Hernando County Schools and a young son, per the same source, and is running for the District 5 seat against incumbent Susan Duval. Kara Leigh Champion appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Hernando County School Board District 5, per the Supervisor of Elections' official qualified-candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.

Campaign finance

$28,796 raised · county campaign-finance filings

Susan Duval

Susan Duval

NonpartisanIncumbent

Top priorities

From other published sources

  • 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
Biography

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. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.

Campaign finance

$2,815 raised · county campaign-finance filings

Next on your ballotBrooksville City Council Seat 1

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Questions about this race

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

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.

When is the Hernando County School Board District 5 election in Florida?

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for Florida are on the Florida election hub at theballotbrief.com.

How do I see my exact Hernando County ballot?

Enter your ZIP code in the lookup at theballotbrief.com for the statewide and congressional races, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location.

Verify this race

Candidate roster from official Hernando County Supervisor of Elections filings, last verified September 27, 2026. Bios and priorities carry their attribution inline.

Cross-check with the official Florida election office, or see the full Hernando County sample ballot and your exact ballot by address.

The rest of your Hernando County ballot

6 tracked races in Hernando County, Florida. Landed here from another county's search? Look up your own ballot below.

Also on your ballot
Brooksville City Council Seat 4Florida House District 52Florida House District 53See all 6 Hernando County races
Candidate profiles
Kara Leigh Champion, full profileSusan Duval, full profileOfficial Florida election office