NEW ORLEANS — Republican Joseph Cao has been elected to a fulltime, but temporary, post on the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Complete but unofficial returns show Cao defeating Democratic Party candidate Angela Hershey by nearly a 2-1 margin.

Cao has been serving on the state panel that governs public K-12 education since Paul Hollis resigned to run the U.S. Mint. Cao will now serve the remainder of Hollis term, which expires at the end of 2028.

Voters in St. Tammany Parish and parts of Jefferson, Orleans and Tangipahoa parishes were eligible to cast ballots.

Cao is from Harvey and once served in Congress. Hershey is from Madisonville.