Munson, Marquez, Andrade lead in MHUSD board election

Three new Morgan Hill Unified School District trustee-elects—Jennifer Marquez, Rebecca Munson and Veronica A. Andrade—are on their way to being elected to three seats on the local board of education. 

Mary Patterson, the only incumbent in the Nov. 5 elections for three trustee areas on the seven-member board, trails Munson in the race for MHUSD Trustee Area 6.

As of 12:15am Nov. 6, Munson leads the two-way TA6 race with about 59% of the vote tally, or 1,392 ballots, according to the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters website. 

Patterson, who was first elected to the MHUSD board in 2016, has received about 41% or 973 votes. 

In the election for MHUSD TA7, Andrade has garnered about 63% or 1,129 ballots, according to the registrar’s site. Tom Pocus has received about 37% or 657 votes. 

And in the race for MHUSD TA5, Marquez leads with about 53% or 1,265 votes. Tyler Smith is at 47% or 1,137 votes for the TA 5 seat. 

Munson, who works as a teacher, said she is grateful for the support and the votes in the Nov. 5 election. 

“I can’t wait to work alongside the current board to ensure the district remains a place where every student has the opportunity to succeed and flourish,” Munson said Nov. 6. “I want to thank everyone who believed in me and supported me throughout this journey, especially my dad. He was my biggest cheerleader and the boots on the ground.” 

Andrade, who is currently a communications instructor at Gavilan College, said her support in the Nov. 5 election is largely due to her reputation as a teacher of 20 years in the community. 

“I have taught in this community, and I have received numerous texts from former students saying we support what you stand for,” Andrade said. “I have a reputation for serving students for over a decade. I think that’s really what sticks out and what people resonated with.” 

She said upon being seated on the MHUSD board, her first actions will be to “listen, learn and observe.” 

“There is an opportunity to do that within the first six months, especially with the (school district’s) budget,” she added.