Hernando County, Florida

Hernando County School Board District 5

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.

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.

Florida › Hernando County › Hernando County School Board District 5

Kara Leigh Champion

Nonpartisan

Top priorities

Parental choice and transparency in school decisions
Teacher retention through less bureaucracy and stronger classroom discipline
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

Nonpartisan Incumbent

Top priorities

Continuous improvement through a shared board focus
Teacher recruitment via programs like Para to Pro
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?

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 4 Florida House District 52 Florida House District 53 See all 6 Hernando County races

Candidate profiles

Kara Leigh Champion, full profile Susan Duval, full profile Official Florida election office