Perez wins Hillsborough school board District 6 seat

Karen Perez won the Hillsborough County School Board District 6 at-large seat with 265,068 votes (56.90%), defeating Kenneth "Ken" Gay, who received 200,762 votes (43.10%), according to unofficial results from the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections. All 446 of 446 precincts reported, with 465,830 votes counted. Perez led by 64,306 votes. The win keeps Perez, the current board chair, in the seat she has held for eight years.

The results do not include provisional ballots, mail ballots pending signature cure or 10-day overseas ballots.

What was at stake

District 6 is an at-large seat, meaning every registered Hillsborough County voter could cast a ballot in this race, according to the Florida Tribune. The board oversees Hillsborough County Public Schools, the seventh-largest school district in the country with more than 220,000 students, Bay News 9 reported.

The key issues:

• Teacher pay and housing: Perez called paying teachers a livable wage her top priority and said she was working with fellow board members to find teacher-only housing in the New Tampa area, according to Neighborhood News Online.
• Budget oversight: Gay said the board needs to be a better steward of the budget and called for a forensic audit, a switch to digital textbooks and a review of vendor contracts, according to Neighborhood News Online.
• Charter schools: Perez said she opposed giving up underutilized school space to "Schools of Hope" charter operators, according to Neighborhood News Online.

Perez will continue to shape board decisions on spending, staffing and school operations across the county, including in Apollo Beach and Ruskin.

A little history

Perez, 62, is a licensed clinical social worker who has served eight years on the board, including stints as chair and vice-chair, according to the Florida Tribune and Neighborhood News Online. She is a registered Democrat. In the Aug. 18 nonpartisan primary, Perez led with more than 48% of the vote, advancing to the general election against Gay, according to the Tampa Bay Beacons.

Gay, 67, is a registered Republican who retired in 2022 after 39 years with Hillsborough County Public Schools as a teacher and assistant principal, according to the Florida Tribune. He ran for the District 5 seat in 2024 against incumbent Henry Washington, who won that race.

What's next

These results remain unofficial. The Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections last updated them at 10:14 p.m. Nov. 3, 2026. Provisional ballots, mail ballots pending signature cure and 10-day overseas ballots were not included in the count.

Election results: Hillsborough County School Board - District 6 (At Large) (Florida General Election, 2026-11-03)

Source: Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections. Results current as of Nov. 3, 2026, 10:14 p.m. EST. Reporting: 446 of 446. Unofficial results; every reporting unit has reported.