Chesterfield school board race questions candidates' experience and stances

TL;DR: Chesterfield County voters will choose between a first-time candidate emphasizing technology and infrastructure and a veteran education administrator with conservative policy stances in a Clover Hill school board special election.

The story

Chesterfield County voters in the Clover Hill district will choose between a political newcomer with a background in psychology and technology and a veteran education administrator with ties to the Trump and Youngkin administrations in a special election set for Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Christina Brady, who works as Head of IT Operations at an insurance company, is making her first bid for elected office. Elizabeth Schultz, a former Fairfax County school board member who served as a Trump administration education official and deputy director of the Office of Educational Technology, brings eight years of school governance experience. The race highlights a tension between candidates' credentials and their positions on culturally divisive issues that have roiled school board races nationwide.

The Clover Hill seat became vacant after Dorothy (Dot) Heffron resigned in September 2025 following backlash over a social media post. The school board appointed psychologist Jenna Darby to fill the seat on a temporary basis beginning Jan. 1, 2026, pending this special election. The winner will serve through Dec. 31, 2027, and will have to run again in 2027 to keep the seat.

Brady's platform focuses on technology and school infrastructure. The mother of four with a psychology degree from Longwood University says she wants to significantly reduce screen time in elementary schools, citing concerns that students retain information better through hands-on learning like writing than through computer-based instruction. She also prioritizes expanding access to special education services like 504 plans and IEPs, and expanding mental health support. On school funding, Brady supports the "1 For Schools" referendum on the ballot this year, which would allow voters to approve a 1 percent sales tax increase to fund school construction and infrastructure improvements. She has pointed to deteriorating school buildings, mold, and portable classrooms as evidence the district needs better facilities funding.

Schultz brings education policy experience but a conservative stance on curriculum. She previously served on Fairfax County's school board from 2012 to 2019 and later worked in the Virginia Department of Education as assistant state superintendent. Schultz has stated her philosophy as "I am about parents, students and taxpayers." She prioritizes establishing student town halls to give young people a direct voice in school decisions and wants the district to emphasize diverse post-secondary pathways including trades and military options.

Schultz made headlines during her time in Fairfax County as a vocal opponent of adding gender identity and transgender issues to sex education curriculum. In 2015, she was the sole school board member to vote against requirements that sex education classes include gender identity and transgender topics. She also led efforts to allow parents and staff conscientious-objector status to opt out of health and Family Life Education modules covering gender identity and sexuality.

In Chesterfield County, where the school board approved new transgender student policies in December 2024, this curriculum stance is likely to resonate differently. The Clover Hill district is a predominantly liberal area that voted for Gov. Spanberger and Kamala Harris by significant margins in recent elections.

Both candidates support the school district's decision to limit Chromebook usage in elementary schools, a move that followed parent concerns about excessive screen time. Early voting is available through Oct. 31 at Central Library, 7051 Lucy Corr Blvd.

Key players

• Christina Brady: Candidate for Clover Hill school board seat
• Elizabeth Schultz: Candidate for Clover Hill school board seat
• Chesterfield County School Board: Governing body overseeing school district
• Chesterfield County Public Schools: School district

Key dates

• 2026-10-31: Early voting ends
• 2026-11-03: Special election for Clover Hill school board seat

Why it matters: The school board decisions shape curriculum content, school funding priorities, and policies affecting thousands of Chesterfield County students and families. The Clover Hill seat is part of a broader national debate over school governance and culture war issues, and voters in this district are choosing between different philosophies of how school boards should balance parental values concerns with professional educational expertise.

Places

• Clover Hill district
• Chesterfield County Public Schools
• Central Library (7051 Lucy Corr Blvd.)+Chesterfield+VA)

Related links

• Brady, Schultz vie to finish Chesterfield school board term
• Chesterfield County school board race raises questions over candidates' experience, social stances
• Chesterfield's lone school board race pits a political veteran against a newcomer
• Chesterfield County School Board
• 1 For Schools Referendum

Read the original at Google News: Chesterfield County →

Sources

• Brady, Schultz vie to finish Chesterfield school board term
• Chesterfield's lone school board race pits a political veteran against a newcomer
• Christina Brady campaign website
• Chesterfield School Board appoints interim Clover Hill representative
• Chesterfield Early Voting Begins Sept. 18 for the Nov. 3 Election
• Chesterfield County Reminds Voters of Upcoming Deadlines for Nov. 3 Election