Teresa Leyba Ruiz elected Arizona superintendent of public instruction
The Democrat defeated Kimberly Yee by a margin of over 138,000 votes in a race that determined the state's top education leader.
By Julia Novak ·
Arizona voters elected Democrat Teresa Leyba Ruiz as the state's superintendent of public instruction on Thursday night.
The Associated Press called the race at 8:50 p.m., confirming Ruiz's victory over Republican challenger Kimberly Yee.
At the time of the call, Ruiz held a lead of more than 138,000 votes, securing her position as the first Latina to head the state's public education system.
Ruiz, a longtime educator and former president of Glendale Community College, ran a campaign focused on reforming state education funding and oversight.
She pledged to limit the growth of the Empowerment Scholarship Account, the state's voucher program, and to end the automatic approval of spending under $2,000.
In a written statement released before the official call, Ruiz reflected on her path to the top job.
"I began this campaign while teaching a math class for returning adult learners," she said. "A year and a half, 15 counties, and countless miles later, I am humbled and honored to be Arizona's next Superintendent of Public Instruction."
Ruiz said she ran because she believed students deserved more and that the state could improve its public education system.
Her platform included raising accountability standards for private schools that accept voucher money and eliminating the Empower Hotline, which allows anonymous complaints against teachers.
A state audit in May found the voucher program lacked proper oversight and resulted in wasteful spending.
Ruiz also advocated for full funding of full-day kindergarten programs.
She is a third-generation Arizonan who grew up in south Phoenix and was the first in her family to attend college.
