INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana’s union-backed Democratic Superintendent of Public Instruction was swept out of office Tuesday in an election dominated by Republican victories.

Glenda Ritz, darling of the Indiana State Teachers Association union, lost her re-election bid to Republican Jennifer McCormick, a reform-minded candidate who cast herself as a teacher-friendly Republican, the Indianapolis Star reports.

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According to the Indiana Election Division, McCormick topped Ritz 1,352,073 votes to 1,188,789.

“People understood that leadership was needed, that partnerships were a problem in Indiana,” McCormick told Chalkbeat.org. “They understand the assessment piece is a mess. So people understood. They heard our message and obviously agreed with it tonight. But it also helped too we had a very successful night for the whole Republican ticket.”

Ritz, who won an upset victory in 2012 against popular education reform superintendent Tony Bennett, spent most of her time in office attempting to repeal the progress made by Bennett in linking teacher accountability to student performance and greatly expanding school choice in the Hoosier state.

Ritz, backed by the ISTA in both 2012 and 2016, focused her re-election campaign on reducing standardized testing, adding universal pre-K, and putting an end to the A-F school accountability system implemented by Bennett.

McCormick, backed by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce and school choice advocates, trumpeted her extensive experience as an educator and superintendent in Yorktown and support for school choice. She also seemingly agreed with Ritz on the need to overhaul the state’s A-F school accountability system and call for increased funding for schools.

As Chalkbeat put it:

This time, the Democratic darling lost to an unknown Republican challenger who she easily outspent. As (Ritz) exits the political stage, she leaves the Democrats no key elected officials to stand against Republican education priorities. With a Republican governor, Republican-dominated legislature and a Republican state superintendent, Indiana is solid red when it comes to education policy.

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“There is work to do to continue building an education system of equity and high quality,” Ritz said in her concession speech. “It is all about meeting the needs of our children … students and families … you must be part of the conversation. Be a loud voice at the Statehouse.”

Hoosier voters also elected Republican Eric Holcomb as governor, which means the State Board of Education is expected to remain strongly pro-school choice, the news site reports.

“McCormick will helm the Department of Education at a critical time,” the Indy Star reports. “The state is working to replace the ISTEP (statewide standardized test) after issues with its administration prompted its repeal. She will also serve on the State Board of Education, though not as the automatic chair after a change in state law” designed to curb Ritz’ influence.