Follow the Money: District 8'S Contentious School Board Race Ends with an Upset

Guest Opinion by Amanda Schulte

The Republican runoffs were nearly a week ago, and as the old saying goes, "follow the money."

For what is generally considered a relatively low-profile State Board of Education race, the District 8 contest became surprisingly contentious and expensive. Yet when the votes were counted last Tuesday night, many supporters viewed the result as an upset victory.

Republican candidate Emily Jones has won the District 8 State Board of Education race and will advance to face Democrat Shatika Armstrong in the November 3rd, 2026, General Election.

A Surprising Runoff

The road to last Tuesday's victory was anything but conventional.

In the May 19th Republican primary, the race featured several candidates, including former Madison City Councilman Connie Spears, who was already well known throughout the district and actively campaigned across all four counties.

Despite having virtually no public presence, William Matthews secured a spot in the runoff election with Emily Jones.

As The Limestone Lowdown noted before the election, this race featured two dramatically different campaign approaches.

Campaign finance reports showed that William Matthews spent nearly $130,000 on his campaign, much of it on television advertising and media buys. Yet throughout the race, he maintained virtually no public presence. He had no social media, no campaign website, and no publicly available contact information despite efforts by The Limestone Lowdown and others to obtain comments or an interview.

That reality naturally leaves many voters asking a broader question:

Why would someone spend nearly $130,000 on a relatively low-paying State Board of Education race while maintaining so little direct engagement with the voters he hoped to represent?

The Christian Coalition Interview

Matthews' only known public interview, and his most prominent endorsement, came through the Christian Coalition.

During that interview, Matthews stated that he entered the race after being encouraged by Republican Lt. Governor candidate John Wahl, State Auditor candidate Andrew Sorrell, whom he attends church with in Decatur, and State Board of Education member Dr. Allen Long.

Later in the interview, Matthews referenced receiving a call from "John and Andrew" regarding concerns they had about Emily Jones and stated that those concerns played a role in his decision to run. At the same time, Matthews acknowledged that he had never met Jones and had never spoken with her personally.

In other words, Matthews admitted that many of his concerns about Jones were based on information relayed to him by others rather than through any direct interaction with her.

The interview also raises additional questions about the endorsement process itself. While Jones was actively campaigning across the district, meeting voters, attending events, and securing endorsements, the Christian Coalition had already endorsed Matthews. Multiple individuals involved in Republican politics have indicated that candidates were instructed to submit materials for consideration through party channels. However, Jones has stated that information regarding the Christian Coalition's endorsement process was never relayed to her campaign, leaving her without an opportunity to participate in the same process afforded to other candidates.

Another question has emerged since the election.

The original interview link initially shared by the Christian Coalition no longer appears to be available. The version currently posted online appears to contain noticeable jumps or glitches in at least two locations. The Limestone Lowdown has observed these apparent edits.

Multiple credible individuals who viewed the original release report that John Wahl's name was referenced in portions of the interview that no longer appear in the version currently available online. At this time, The Limestone Lowdown cannot independently determine why the apparent edits exist, when they were made, or whether any comments were removed.

However, because this was Matthews' only known public interview and one of the few opportunities voters had to hear directly from him, the apparent discrepancies are likely to raise additional questions about the origins of his candidacy and the political figures involved in encouraging him to run.

For a link to the full interview please see: https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=william+matthews+intervew+dr+brinson&mid=4964DF428966B1BBD0E14964DF428966B1BBD0E1&churl=&FORM=VIRE

Why Was This Race So Contentious?

The interview itself raises broader questions.

John Wahl and Emily Jones were not strangers. Both have served together on the Limestone County Republican Executive Committee and have been active in many of the same Republican circles, including library-related advocacy efforts involving Moms for Liberty.

So why did this relatively low-paying State Board of Education race become so contentious? Why was there an apparent effort by statewide political figures to recruit a challenger to a candidate who had already been active and vetted within local Republican leadership circles?

Those are fair questions that voters may continue asking long after Election Day.

Perhaps most notably, in the final days of the campaign, Matthews' campaign took a decidedly negative turn, sending a series of text messages and airing television advertisements attacking Jones. While campaigns often draw contrasts between candidates, many voters were still left without a clear understanding of Matthews' own vision for District 8 or what specific priorities he would have pursued if elected.

A True Grassroots Campaign

Meanwhile, Emily Jones ran an entirely different campaign.

Over the past year, Jones and her team built what many would describe as a true grassroots effort. They spent countless evenings and weekends knocking on doors, hanging signs, attending events, and meeting voters where they were.

Volunteers walked tens of thousands of steps across four counties because they believed in Jones' vision for Alabama's education system and believed she would be an effective advocate for students, teachers, parents, and local communities.

Throughout the campaign, Jones remained visible and accessible. She participated in interviews, answered questions from voters and the media, and openly discussed her positionson education and school policy.

She did not have six-figure campaign spending or a barrage of television ads.

Instead, she had a dedicated team of supporters who believed in her message and were willing to do the hard work of campaigning the old-fashioned way.

And in the end, Jones ultimately prevailed district-wide.

The Results

📍 Limestone County

William Matthews: 3,407 (50.02%)

Emily Jones: 3,404 (49.98%)

➡️ Matthews won by just 3 votes.

📍 Madison County

Emily Jones: 9,980 (51.93%)

William Matthews: 9,237 (48.07%)

➡️ Jones won by 743 votes.

📍 Jackson County

Emily Jones: 3,090 (62.80%)

William Matthews: 1,830 (37.20%)

➡️ Jones won by 1,260 votes.

📍 DeKalb County

Emily Jones: 2,155 (56.08%)

William Matthews: 1,688 (43.92%)

➡️ Jones won by 467 votes.

Overall, Jones won three of the four counties in District 8 and secured a decisive district-wide victory despite narrowly losing Limestone County by only three votes.

One final fact is worth considering.

If Emily Jones is successful in November, she would reportedly become the only member of the Alabama State Board of Education with children currently enrolled in the public school system. The board makes decisions that directly affect students, teachers, curriculum, accountability, and education policy across Alabama. Having a parent currently navigating the public school system every day would bring a perspective that is presently absent from the board.

No matter where you stood in this race, one thing is clear: local elections matter.

Sometimes the candidates with the biggest budgets and the most outside attention do not prevail.

Sometimes the candidates who knock on the doors, answer the questions, and earn the trust of voters one conversation at a time find themselves on top.

Emily, you've spent the better part of a year pouring your heart into this race. Your team knocked on doors, walked countless miles, and continued pushing forward despite being heavily outspent and facing significant opposition in the closing days of the campaign. Looking back, what does this victory mean to you personally, and what message do you have for the volunteers and voters who believed in your vision for Alabama's education system?

“For me personally, it's just another example of God's faithfulness. I've always believed that God called me off the sidelines during Covid and told me to get in the fight. Through all the obstacles we've faced over the years - attempted canceling of our Kirk Cameron story hour, protests at our Title IX events, threats during our MTG dinner - God's been faithful.

“As for a message to my volunteers, first and foremost a HUGE thank you! So many people have supported this campaign and every single bit mattered. From allowing me to speak at their events, to donating, to door knocking, to praying - it all mattered and combined it's what push us over the line to win the nomination.” 

Congratulations to Emily Jones, her family, and the many volunteers who spent the better part of a year believing in a cause and doing the difficult work of grassroots politics.

The above originally appeared in The Limestone Lowdown. It is reprinted here by permission.

Amanda Schulte is a wife, mother and host of The Limestone Lowdown podcast.

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