All four incumbents in Friendswood ISD's board of trustees have remained winners for the Nov. 5 election, unofficial results show.
Rebecca Hillenburg, the incumbent and winner for Position 3, said she is thankful for her supporters.
"Thanks to all who came out and voted," she said. "Thanks to my supporters who were always there for me. Now it’s on to doing the work for the kids. That’s the bottom line—do the work for the kids.”
Updated 12:20 p.m. Nov. 6
Results have remained the same by Galveston County as of 11:45 p.m. Nov. 6 with all four incumbents in the race for Friendswood ISD's board of trustees declaring victory, according to unofficial results from Galveston County.
According to Galveston County, the current unofficial results are as follows:
- For Position 1, Laura Seifert is leading Bradley Clapp with 11,507 votes to 3,888 votes.
- For Position 2, Niki Rhodes is leading Donald "Doc" Stran with 8,739 votes to 6,654 votes.
- For Position 3, Rebecca Hillenburg is leading Debbie Spurr with 10,423 votes to 4,498 votes.
- For Position 4, Tony Hopkins is leading John Scott with 8,956 votes to 6,441 votes.
Niki Rhodes, the incumbent and winner for Position 2, said she is grateful to the FISD community for re-electing her.
"[The community's] trust and support means the world to me," Rhodes said. "I cannot wait to continue to serve for the next four years, and I'm thankful to my family for sticking by me and supporting me. They truly go all in every time I have a dream, and I truly cannot do it without my family and friends."
Tony Hopkins, the incumbent and winner for Position 4, said the support he received for the election was everything to him.
"I want to thank the people of Friendswood for supporting me and the rest of the board, and continuing the legacy of excellence that we have here in Friendswood ISD," Hopkins said. "We will continue to keep the high standards that have made Friendswood great."
Rebecca Hillenburg, the incumbent and winner for Position 3, was not available for comment as of press time.
Updated 7:30 a.m. Nov. 6
Results remain much the same as the night of Nov. 5, as all four incumbents in the race for Friendswood ISD's board of trustees are on their way to a victory, according to unofficial results from Galveston County.
Throughout the night, there were a few more votes that were tallied. The current unofficial results are as follows:
- For Position 1, Laura Seifert is leading Bradley Clapp with 11,507 votes to 3,888 votes.
- For Position 2, Niki Rhodes is leading Donald "Doc" Stran with 8,739 votes to 6,654 votes.
- For Position 3, Rebecca Hillenburg is leading Debbie Spurr with 10,423 votes to 4,498 votes.
- For Position 4, Tony Hopkins is leading John Scott with 8,956 votes to 6,441 votes.
Results remain unofficial until canvassed.
In a social media post on Nov. 6, Seifert expressed gratitude to the community for reelecting her.
"I am honored beyond measure to continue serving our district as your board trustee," she said. "Your trust is a privilege, and it strengthens my dedication to the work ahead. Thank you for believing in me and in our mission. Together, let’s keep moving forward to make a lasting impact for our students and our community."
Updated 11:20 p.m. Nov. 5
With all precincts reporting, results show all four incumbents headed to victory based on unofficial results from Galveston County.
Positions 1, 2, 3 and 4 are on the ballot for Friendswood ISD. As of 11:05 p.m., unofficial results from Galveston County show the following:
- For Position 1, Laura Seifert is leading Bradley Clapp with 11,480 votes to 3,881 votes.
- For Position 2, Niki Rhodes is leading Donald "Doc" Stran with 8,714 votes to 6,645 votes.
- For Position 3, Rebecca Hillenburg is leading Debbie Spurr with 10,404 votes to 4,484 votes.
- For Position 4, Tony Hopkins is leading John Scott with 8,935 votes to 6,428 votes.
Posted 7:50 p.m. Nov. 5
As of 7 p.m., polls began closing across Texas, and results were starting to roll in for local elections across the state. Friendswood ISD has four seats on the ballot—all of which are competitive.
Here is where things stand with the first batch of unofficial results, according to Galveston County.
The full story
Positions 1, 2, 3 and 4 are on the ballot for Friendswood ISD. As of 7:45 p.m., unofficial results from Galveston County show the following:
- For Position 1, Laura Seifert is leading Bradley Clapp with 9,920 votes to 3,414 votes.
- For Position 2, Niki Rhodes is leading Donald “Doc” Stran with 7,495 votes to 5,840 votes.
- For Position 3, Rebecca Hillenburg is leading Debbie Spurr with 9,006 votes to 3,924 votes.
- For Position 4, Tony Hopkins is leading John Scott with 5,616 votes to 7,725 votes.
Diving in deeper
In Position 1, Seifert, the incumbent, said she wants to continue advocating for the release of $4 billion in public school funding and $1 billion for safety from the state. Clapp said he wants to ensure the district is utilizing available funds in an equitable way so it can impact the greatest number of students.
In Position 2, Rhodes, the incumbent, said she wants to ensure students receive high-quality education in a safe environment, and teachers and staff feel valued. Stran said he wants to prioritize teacher voices in the education process by allowing teacher input without fear or consequence. He also said he wants to eliminate male students from using female restrooms and locker rooms regardless of how they identify.
In Position 3, Hillenburg, the incumbent, said evaluating what is best for students is her primary goal as a policymaker. She said she would also like fewer distractions so all students have the opportunity to be attentive, ready to be attentive and ready to learn. Spurr said she wants to implement an academically effective curriculum, enforce safe schools and strict discipline policies, advocate for teachers and effectively use resources to benefit tax dollars.
In Position 4, Hopkins, the incumbent, said he wants to ensure that every FISD graduate has the knowledge, skills and character to thrive in global society. He believes to achieve this, the state needs to release education funding. Scott said he wants to build as close to a distraction-free learning environment as possible, give autonomy back to the principles and teachers of the district and to build teacher morale through effective leadership.
To read more about the respective candidates in each race, check out the Q&As:
Position 1
Position 2
Position 3
Position 4
What’s next?
Community Impact will update this article as more election day vote totals are released. All results are unofficial until canvassed.
Visit communityimpact.com/voter-guide/election-results to see results from all local elections in your community.
