Lisa Kessler
Kessler is a published author, national speaker and writing coach who worked as a sales and marketing manager for 26 years before writing full time. She chairs the Fort Pierce Arts and Culture Board and is the daughter of two career public school teachers. She led the August 2026 District 5 primary narrowly and advanced to the November runoff against the long-serving incumbent.
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Sources last checked 2026-09-18. Report an error ↗
Positions on the major issues
Compare with opponents →Each entry describes what the candidate has said or done, and what they say they will do, in neutral terms with sources. The chip shows how that relates to the statement voters rate in the matching tool.
Education & school choice Leans disagree· stated position
In her VOTE411 questionnaire Kessler said she opposes vouchers as they stand because private schools do not have to meet the same testing standards, and said schools accepting public funds should be held accountable. She separately proposes district-administered homeschooling with testing accountability.
"Private schools do not have to meet the testing standards"
Library and classroom materials Mixed / neutral· stated position
Kessler describes her role as ensuring the district follows Florida law and maintains age-appropriate collections, without saying whether an objection alone should be enough to remove material.
Teacher and staff pay Leans agree· stated position
Kessler names teacher retention and public school enrollment as her most critical issues and proposes creative supports for teachers such as housing, growth opportunities and more say over school assignment. She has not proposed a specific raise or named spending she would cut.
No public position found on 4 issues
We searched campaign sites, questionnaires, interviews, votes and official actions and did not find a clear stance on: Taxes & spending, Property taxes, Gender identity laws, School safety approach. This is reported as unknown rather than guessed from party affiliation; these issues are excluded from this candidate's match score.
Other issues this candidate has raised
- Board transparency — Kessler proposes 'You said, We did' podcasts, more frequent board meetings and attendance at student and district events to connect the board with the community.