*This story and candidate list was updated Aug. 6.
With less than a week left in the candidacy filing period for the November election, voters may not have much of choice in selecting the right person for office.
Many of the races for elected board of education seats spanning the communities of Morgan Hill, Gilroy and Hollister have only a single candidate and could run unopposed.
Linda Tulett, manager of candidate services with Santa Clara County’s Office of Registrar, said they expect a rush of additional candidates as the candidacy filing period nears the cutoff date of Aug. 10. She pointed to the website sccvote.org, where potential candidates can find a candidate guide with the steps necessary to filing for office. The same can be done for San Benito County at sbcvote.us/registrar-of-voters/.
“It’s fairly easy to file for a school district (seat),” Tulett said. “Next week, we expect to be crazy. Just like voter registration, everyone walks in the door thinking they’re the only one who waited until the last minute. I’ve have a couple people waiting at the front counter now and, on Friday, there will probably be 15 at the front counter.”
The last day to file for office is Aug. 10. If an incumbent does not run for re-election, the nomination period for that office is then extended until 5pm Aug. 15. Tulett explained that, according to education and election code, if there is an equal or fewer number of candidates to the corresponding elected offices at the end of the nomination period, then those who are qualified through the county office will be appointed to those positions.
“It all depends on the election and the environment of the election,” said Angela Curro, assistant county clerk, recorder and registrar voters for San Benito County, as to how many and how early candidates file. “What we’re seeing is pretty typical. Actually, we had a busy start to nominations, which is unusual. However, not all candidates file early.”
In San Benito County’s two largest school districts, all three San Benito High School District trustee area seats have just a single candidate in each race while four candidates—incumbent Patricia Moore along with challengers Stephen Kain, Brande Barrett and Carlotta Torres—have pulled papers for the three open seats on the Hollister School District board.
SBHS District incumbents Steve Delay (Trustee Area 3) and Juan Robledo (TA4) are seeking re-election. The other incumbent Bill Tiffany does not plan to seek office, but challenger Miguel Sahagun Jr. entered the Trustee Area 2 race.
On the HSD board, Peter Hernandez will not return as he is involved in a Nov. runoff for a seat on the County Board of Supervisors. Incumbent Elsa Rodriguez have yet to pull papers.
Additionally, only one challenger, Jason Hopkins in Trustee Area 7, has pulled papers for the two San Benito County trustee area seats on the Gavilan Community College Joint District with incumbents Lois Locci and Kent Child not planning to run again. In the other two Gavilan seats set for the Nov. 6 election ballot, incumbent Walt Glines (Trustee Area 3, Gilroy) will be up against challenger Edwin Diaz while incumbent Laura Perry (TA1, Morgan Hill) is the only candidate who has expressed official interest.
In Morgan Hill Unified School District, five trustee area seats are up for grabs with only two currently contested as incumbent Gino Borgioli (TA3) and challenger Heather Orosco pulled papers for Trustee Area 3 while newcomers Robert Guynn and Jill Provencal will compete for the Trustee Area 4 seat. Three other challengers, Peter Mandel (TA1), John Horner (TA2) and Vanessa Sutter (TA5), have filed in separate MHUSD trustee areas without any opposition.
“Typically school offices don’t necessarily file early,” Curro added. “It all depends on the individual.”
In Gilroy Unified School District, where four at-large seats are set to expire in November, one incumbent (Linda Piceno) and two challengers (Enrique Diaz and Anisha Munshi) have pulled papers. Incumbent Patricia Midtgaard does plan to seek re-election, while fellow GUSD trustees Heather Bass and Jaime Ross have yet to pull papers.
On the county boards, incumbent Claudia Rossi, of Morgan Hill, is currently running unopposed for her Trustee Area 7 seat on the Santa Clara County Board of Education while incumbent Joan Campbell-Garcia (District 3) and challenger Reb Monaco (District 4) are the lone candidates for those respective seats on the San Benito County Board of Education. The other two SCCBOE trustee area seats have contested races.
Candidates filed as of Aug. 6
Deadline is Aug. 10
Santa Clara County Board of Education
Trustee Area 7
Claudia Rossi (incumbent)
Gavilan Joint College Board of Trustees
Trustee Area 1
Laura Perry (incumbent)
TA3
Walt Glines (incumbent)
Edwin Diaz
TA5
None
TA7
Jason Hopkins
Gilroy Unified School District Board of Education
4 at-large seats
Linda Piceno (incumbent)
Enrique Diaz
Anisha Munshi
Morgan Hill Unified School District Board of Education
Trustee Area 1
Peter Mandel
Trustee Area 2
John Horner
Trustee Area 3
Gino Borgioli (incumbent)
Heather Orosco
Trustee Area 4
Robert Guynn
Jill Provencal
Trustee Area 5
Vanessa Sutter
San Benito County Board of Education
District 3
Joan Campbell-Garcia (incumbent)
District 4
Reb Monaco
San Benito High School District Board of Education
Trustee Area 3
Steve Delay (incumbent)
TA4
Juan Robledo (incumbent)
TA2
Miguel Sahagun Jr.
Hollister School District Board of Education
3 at-large seats
Patricia Moore (incumbent)
Stephen Kain
Brande Barrett
Carlotta Torres
