Ericka Ledferd, a Democrat and Rockwall County educator, is running for Texas State Board of Education District 9 in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. She faces Republican Kason Huddleston.
Ledferd said she has over 15 years of board experience with community organizations spanning community planning and public education, according to her campaign website.
Candidate information
Party: Democratic
Education: Bachelor's degree in political science, Texas A&M University (2003); master's degree in Spanish literature, Texas A&M University (2006), according to BallotReady.
Previous candidacy: Rockwall County Commission Precinct 4, according to BallotReady.
Experience and public service
Ledferd's professional background spans education and community organizations, according to her campaign website and BallotReady profile data.
She served as an educator at Royse City Independent School District and as director of the English as a Second Language program at Royse City High School. She also worked in the foreign language program at Texas A&M University and with TRIO Programs at Southern Methodist University.
Ledferd listed employment at East Texas A&M University, Upward Bound, the Baptist Immigration Center of McKinney, the Baptist Immigration Center of Plano and the Light of Hope Immigration Law Center. She was re-elected as a board member at Light of Hope Immigration Law Center in 2019, according to the organization's website. She is also listed as owner of Ledford PR, according to BallotReady.
On the issues
School vouchers: Ledferd opposes Texas's education-savings-account program and says public dollars should strengthen public schools, according to an interview published by Egberto Willies's Substack. She grounds her case in the Texas Constitution's duty to support public education. In a BallotReady questionnaire response, Ledferd said protecting public schools from privatization means ensuring every child has a fair chance to learn and grow while keeping taxpayer dollars in public schools rather than private enterprises.
Curriculum: Ledferd said she wants a curriculum that builds real opportunity for students rather than one shaped by political considerations, according to her campaign website. She calls for stronger reading, mathematics, science, technology and career education, according to the Substack interview.
Technology and AI in education: Ledferd said guiding Texas through the AI era responsibly means "using technology to open doors for our kids, not close them," according to her campaign website.
Sources: Public campaign materials, published candidate profiles and the public records linked above. Policy statements are attributed to the candidate; funding or implementation details are included where available.
The Rockwall Herald did not receive a direct questionnaire response from the candidate and does not endorse candidates.
