Sharon Jefferson
Jefferson, 54, is a National Board-certified teacher with more than 26 years in Manatee County schools, mostly in Title I schools, and has worked as a Title I and instructional support specialist. She founded the nonprofits RECESS Education and Freedom Leadership Academy and serves as education chair for the Manatee County NAACP. She finished second in the Aug. 18, 2026 primary with about 27% and advanced to the Nov. 3 runoff.
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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.
Taxes & spending Mixed / neutral· stated position
Jefferson has called for a line-by-line review of the district budget to see how much reaches schools and to test whether the administration is 'top heavy'; she has not called for cutting taxes.
Education & school choice Leans disagree· stated position
At the Sept. 23 League forum Jefferson said the voucher system 'has gotten out of hand' and needs better oversight and accountability, while saying she is not entirely opposed, citing private schools that serve children with autism or behavior needs.
"I do believe that the voucher system has gotten out of hand."
Library and classroom materials Leans disagree· stated position
Jefferson said she does not support book bans while acknowledging the district's authority to decide which books are used, and has called for instructional materials that are balanced, age-appropriate and free of vendor influence. At the Sept. 23 League forum she said, 'I don't believe in banning books,' favoring placing books with the appropriate age group instead.
"I don't believe in book bans, but the school has the authority to choose what books are being used"
Teacher and staff pay Leans agree· stated position
Jefferson says recruiting and retaining experienced teachers is a priority, noting some schools where more than half the teachers are inexperienced, and said at the Sept. 23 League forum that she would advocate in Tallahassee for higher teacher pay.
"to be able to advocate for higher teacher pay."
School safety approach Leans disagree· stated position
Jefferson has said school security should not be modeled on the criminal justice system, prioritizing screening of people who work on campus and addressing internal threats, and her campaign emphasizes students' social and emotional needs. At the Sept. 23 League forum she called for ending the 'school to prison pipeline' by handling discipline without reassigning students out of their schools.
"They could be social, emotional, physical…there are so many different factors that go into understanding why students are not performing."
No public position found on 2 issues
We searched campaign sites, questionnaires, interviews, votes and official actions and did not find a clear stance on: Property taxes, Gender identity laws. 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
No additional issues found in public statements as of the last data review.
Endorsements (as reported)
- Manatee County Democratic Party and the Democratic Public Education Caucus