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Tom Torlakson was re-elected yesterday as California’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, with 52.1 percent of the vote to 47.9 for Marshall Tuck, making it the closest of all statewide races.

This was his victory statement:

“We knew it wouldn’t be easy. They were strong, but we were stronger. They were tough, but we were tougher. After all, we’re teachers – we did our homework.

We knew that when Californians look for direction on how to improve education — they don’t look to Wall Street. They don’t look to Silicon Valley. They look to the people who are in the schools in their neighborhood every day – the teachers, the school employees, the teacher’s aides, the nurses, the counselors.

There are still many votes to count. But it looks like tonight is a win for the people who do more than talk about improving education – tonight is a win for the people who do something about it.

I congratulate my opponent for running a strong campaign. And while I disagree with him in many respects — I believe he truly wants California’s children to succeed — and I wish him well.

We are all committed to making our schools better and helping our students achieve their dreams. No one wants that more than California’s teachers. But teachers cannot do it alone — and we cannot do it under siege.

So if you truly care about our schools, our children and their futures — wonderful. Join us. We’re right down the street — at a school in your neighborhood. We want your help. We need your help.

We said it a lot during our campaign – because it’s true: Our students only get one chance at a great education – let’s all keep working together for a better future for California and our kids.”