Senator Eliot Shapleigh - El Paso, Texas

A pivotal Republican primary for the State Board of Education has drawn an unusual amount of interest and money from some prominent business leaders.

The support has helped the challenger in the District 5 race, Tim Tuggey, take a substantial fundraising lead over incumbent Ken Mercer, a member of the board's conservative bloc. District 5 includes southern Travis County, northern Bexar County and 11 other Central Texas counties.

Tuggey brought in about $60,000, according to the latest campaign finance reports. That is more than seven times the amount Mercer raised and is considered a princely sum for a state board race.

The State Board of Education, which adopts curriculum standards and textbooks for Texas public schools, has often been a quiet corner of state government. But the past couple of years have been quite noisy as the board has tackled some politically prickly issues, including science and social studies curriculum standards.

The 15-member board is sharply divided between Mercer's conservative side and a more moderate opposition faction. Eight seats are up for election this year, and any change in board membership could tip the balance of power.

The District 5 Republican primary winner will face the Democrat who emerges from a four-person field.

The brouhaha over the teaching of evolution in the science curriculum caught the attention of some in the San Antonio business community, said Carri Baker Wells, chairwoman of the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce.

There was a concern that decisions were being made based on ideology rather than sound science, and that affects how prepared Texas students are to compete, said Wells, adding that the chamber does not endorse candidates.

Among Tuggey's givers are some of San Antonio's biggest names in business, including Red McCombs, the auto magnate; Bartell Zachry, chairman of the construction conglomerate Zachry Group Inc. and former chairman of the Governor's Business Council; and Charles Butt, president and chief executive officer of H.E. Butt Grocery Co.

"I think that our State Board of Education is somewhere between inept and dysfunctional," said McCombs, namesake of the University of Texas business school. "The kids are entitled to more than what they're getting."

McCombs cites the state's high dropout rate, in particular, as an indication that the system is broken, and he says Mercer is a part of that system.

"He has had his turn at bat, and I'm ready to put in a new player," McCombs said.

Tuggey, an Austin business lawyer whose firm is based in San Antonio, has strong ties to the San Antonio business community through his professional dealings and as the former chairman of the local public transit board.

Mercer is using those connections to cast Tuggey as a member of the "education political lobby," a derisive term Mercer says is defined by who it is not — "the moms and dads ... the conservative educators."

"I'm a working guy, and my opponent is a registered Washington lobbyist. He's a registered Austin lobbyist," said Mercer, a former state representative who was elected to the board in 2006. "I've had the courage and strength to stand up to the education political lobby."

Mercer said Tuggey's support from the business leaders reflects the dismay within the education political lobby that the board's conservative bloc has won on certain curriculum issues, returning to a "back-to-basics" approach to learning.

Tuggey said it was ridiculous to paint teacher groups and others who care about education as members of a "nefarious lobby." His lobbying work is not related to any issues before the State Board of Education, he said.

Lobby reports filed with the state show that Tuggey primarily represents public entities and private companies related to infrastructure, such as water, transportation and construction.

His one client with an education link was the Cornerstone Christian School, which is affiliated with San Antonio's Cornerstone Church, founded by the Rev. John Hagee. Tuggey said he lobbied unsuccessfully for a bill that would have let the private school's students compete with public school students in athletic events.

Tuggey said the board has been consumed with ideological battles and is not focused on the children.

"Educators and the parents want the state board to focus on student preparation and opportunity," said Tuggey, whose wife is a teacher in Austin. "The one-size-fits-all approach is not responsive to what is going on with the kids."

The recent spotlight shined on the state board will probably not be enough to capture the attention of most voters through direct advertising given the competition from other high-profile races. So Tuggey's financial advantage might not translate to an electoral advantage, Republican political consultant Todd Smith said.

State board districts are sprawling — twice the size of congressional districts — and voters typically know very little about the candidates.

"Grass-roots networking is the largest dynamic in a race like this," said Smith, who is not affiliated with either candidate.

Because Mercer has good name identification and a grass-roots network, he is in a strong position, Smith said.

The unknown this year is the role that might be played by new voters who are part of the burgeoning anti-government tea party movement, Smith said.

Mercer said he is very encouraged by the enthusiasm of the tea party groups in his district and says he shares their principles. Tuggey, likewise, said his message of respecting the local control of school districts will resonate with that crowd.