By Jonathan Friedman
Associate Editor
August 18, 2016 -- A field of
up to four candidates will compete in the November election for three
seats on the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District board. The deadline
to enter the race was Wednesday at 5 p.m.
The confirmed candidates are elected incumbent Maria Leon-Vazquez, appointed
incumbent Ralph Mechur and challenger Jon Kean. County officials have
validated at least 100 signatures on their nomination papers.
Attorney Jason Feldman submitted his nomination papers on Friday, and
they are under review.
Recently appointed Arts Commissioner Phil Brock and two-time former U.S.
congressional candidate Paul Whitehead pulled nomination papers, but did
not return them.
“My appointment to the Arts Commission, an upcoming Kiwanis Club
presidency, my work with the Samohi Alumni Association and my career focus
would not have allowed me to devote my full attention to our youth as
a school board member,” wrote Brock in an email to The Lookout.
Brock wrote that he would focus on a 2018 run for City Council. Political
observers had thought he would run for council this year because he nearly
won a seat in 2014 and remains active in the slow-growth movement.
Although Brock will not run for school board, the Santa Monica native
had some parting shots about the conditions of the school district.
“I am distressed at the numerous distractions that have been allowed
to interfere with the district's mission,” Brock wrote.
He continued, “Looking at the disrepair of our school facilities,
the need for a toxic-free, safe learning environment and the need for
both the cities of Malibu and Santa Monica to have successful, independent
school districts, there was ample reason to run [for a board seat].”
Even if Feldman qualifies for the race, it will feature the smallest
field since four candidates ran for three seats in 2008.
If Feldman does not qualify, this will be the first school board election
since 1986 that the number of candidates equals the number of seats available.
Leon-Vazquez is running for a fifth term. She was first elected in 2000
and has been successfully re-elected every four years since then.
Mechur has had a much more eventful journey.
He joined the board in 2007 as an appointee to fill the seat vacated
by Emily Bloomfield, who had moved to another state. The next year, Mechur
was elected in an uncontested special election to keep the seat for the
remainder of Bloomfield’s term.
He was re-elected in his first competitive contest in 2010, but lost
a bid to keep the seat in 2014. Two months later, Mechur was back on the
board as an appointee to fill the seat vacated by Ben Allen, who had been
elected to the State Senate.
Kean and potentially Feldman will be running for a school board seat
for the first time.
Council Candidates Wait for Confirmation
The City Council nomination period ended Friday with a potential field
of 11 candidates. The four incumbents--Gleam Davis, Ted Winterer, Tony
Vazquez and Terry O’Day--have qualified, while the challengers are
waiting for confirmation.
City Clerk Denise Anderson-Warren told The Lookout she expects to hear
from the County about whether the challengers have qualified by the end
of this week or early next week.
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