The Ballot Brief
Orange County, Florida

Orange 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 › Orange County › Orange County School Board District 1

Decided at the 2026 primary: Melissa Lopez Marantes won the seat

DECIDED August 18: Melissa Lopez Marantes won outright with 60 percent over David Shepard, per unofficial results. This race will not appear on the November 3 ballot.

Winner

Melissa Lopez Marantes

Nonpartisan

Top priorities
  • Strengthening public education through academic excellence, transparency, and listening to parents and staff
  • Student safety and mental wellness
  • Protecting arts programs and equitable opportunities for all students

Per the campaign site.

Biography

Lopez Marantes is an attorney and executive director and co-founder of the Orlando Center for Justice, and an adjunct professor at the University of Central Florida, per the campaign site. She spent a decade in the advertising industry as an interactive broadcast producer before earning her law degree at Florida A&M University's law school, per the campaign site. She is a graduate of Orange County Public Schools and has volunteered as a Guardian ad Litem advocating for children's well-being, per the campaign site.

Campaign finance

$18,331 raised · county campaign-finance filings

Campaign site (opens in a new tab)

Also ran in the primary

David Shepard

Nonpartisan

Top priorities
  • Student safety, drawing on emergency response and prevention expertise
  • Career pathways: trade careers and internships alongside college options
  • Restoring practical life skills programs and expanding vocational education access

Per the campaign site.

Biography

Shepard is a firefighter and paramedic with more than 14 years of public safety service who was born and raised in northwest Ohio before moving to the area in 2012, per the campaign site. He has trained paramedics and taught CPR over the course of his career, per the campaign site.

Campaign finance

$9,898 raised · county campaign-finance filings

Campaign site (opens in a new tab)
Next on your ballotOrange County School Board District 3

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Questions about this race

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

The Orange County School Board District 1 race was decided at the 2026 primary - Melissa Lopez Marantes won the seat - and does not appear on the November 3, 2026 ballot. 2 candidates were on the primary ballot: Melissa Lopez Marantes and David Shepard. Candidate information follows official Orange County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

When is the Orange 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 Orange 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 Orange County Supervisor of Elections filings, last verified September 29, 2026. Bios and priorities carry their attribution inline.

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

The rest of your Orange County ballot

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

Also on your ballot
Orange County Court Judge Group 21Orange Soil and Water Conservation District 1Orange Soil and Water Conservation District 3See all 20 Orange County races
Candidate profiles
Melissa Lopez Marantes, full profileDavid Shepard, full profileOfficial Florida election office