Lake County, Florida

Lake County School Board District 1

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.

Florida › Lake County › Lake County School Board District 1

Decided at the 2026 primary: Pat Kelley won the seat

DECIDED August 18: Pat Kelley won outright with 58.5 percent (35,690 votes) over Eric Schwalbach, per unofficial results. This race will not appear on the November 3 ballot.

Winner

Pat Kelley

Nonpartisan

Top priorities

Developer-funded infrastructure and pay-as-you-go fiscal discipline
Support teachers with flexible tools and mental health resources
Stable property taxes with no new public debt

Per the campaign site.

Biography

Pat Kelley served nearly 20 years as mayor of Minneola and resigned effective May 19, 2026 to run for this School Board seat, per ClickOrlando; his campaign cites 35 years of corporate finance experience and nearly three decades as an adjunct professor, per his campaign site.

Campaign finance

$29,050 raised · county campaign-finance filings

Campaign site (opens in a new tab)

Also ran in the primary

Eric Schwalbach

Nonpartisan

Top priorities

Improve math and reading skills through tutoring pairing experienced teachers with high school students
Recruit and retain quality teachers through dual enrollment education programs
Expand career and technical education opportunities

Per the Florida Tribune.

Biography

Eric Schwalbach has been a classroom teacher since 1996, teaching mathematics and coaching sports in Florida public schools at every grade level, per his campaign site. He is running for the open Lake County School Board District 1 seat, per the Florida Tribune, and has pledged to donate his school board salary toward tutoring and career and technical education programs, per his campaign site. Eric Schwalbach was on the August 18, 2026 ballot for Lake County School Board District 1, per the Supervisor of Elections' official qualified-candidate list.

Campaign finance

$2,900 raised · county campaign-finance filings

Campaign site (opens in a new tab)

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Voting info and more

Questions about this race

Who is running for Lake County School Board District 1 in 2026?

The Lake County School Board District 1 race was decided at the 2026 primary - Pat Kelley won the seat - and does not appear on the November 3, 2026 ballot. 2 candidates were on the primary ballot: Pat Kelley and Eric Schwalbach. Candidate information follows official Lake County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

When is the Lake County School Board District 1 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 Lake 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 Lake County Supervisor of Elections filings, last verified September 8, 2026. Bios and priorities carry their attribution inline.

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

The rest of your Lake County ballot

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

Also on your ballot

Florida House District 26 Florida House District 27 Lake County Commissioner District 2 See all 5 Lake County races

Candidate profiles

Pat Kelley, full profile Eric Schwalbach, full profile Official Florida election office