Two Colorado State Board of Education incumbents held on to their seats Tuesday in an election that did not change the balance of power on the partisan board.

Incumbent Debora Scheffel, a Republican, defeated Democratic challenger Tim Krug, 63 percent to 37 percent, to represent eastern Colorado as of 10 p.m. Tuesday. That district overlaps with the 2nd Congressional District and includes Douglas, Adams, and Weld counties.

In the 4th Congressional District in the north-central part of the state, incumbent Angelika Schroeder, a Democrat, defeated Republican challenger Johnny Barrett 63 percent to 37 percent. That district includes most of Boulder and Larimer counties.

The results mean Democrats will maintain a majority of the seven seats on the board. Control of the board switched in 2016 after nearly 50 years of a Republican majority.

The state board is responsible for appointing the commissioner of education, setting state standards, charter school appeals, waivers, teacher licensure, and administration of a lot of grants approved by the legislature.

The biggest task in front of the board right now is determining what happens to low-performing schools that have failed to improve even after receiving state warnings and assistance.

Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.