Updated December 30, 2009 | 6:30am | John McGinnis, the former Dean of the Library and Learning Resource Center at Cerritos College, won the December 29 special election to fill the open seat on the LBUSD School Board. McGinnis ran among five candidates and held on to an early lead as results started to come in just after 8:00pm.
The candidates earned the following votes: John J. Mc Ginnis at 721 votes, Richard G. Lewis, Jr.at 616, Kate Erin Conrath at 356, Pauline Gonzalez Stenberg at 263 and Raymond Chavarria at 166. Low voter turn-out was expected in closing out the 2009 election season. Of the 35,950 registered voters in the district, 6% or 2,159 people voted.
McGinnis told the Press-Telegram: I’m looking forward to working with the other four board members. I have great respect for all of them. I’m just humbled to be part of that group.
McGinnis secured the support of Delaine Eastin, former State Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Association of Long Beach Educational Managers, current School Board members Jon Meyer and Felton Williams.
More in-depth coverage from last night’s election below.
Posted December 29, 2009 | 8:11pm | Early unofficial election results show John McGinnis ahead in the race for an open seat on the Long Beach Unified School District Board of Education. The City Clerk’s first round of election results reported: John McGinnis at 35.5%, Richard Lewis at 25.5%, Kate Conrath at 19.3%, Raymond Chavarria at 7.7% and Pauline Stenberg at 12.1%
Click here for the City Clerk’s election results web site.
The five candidates are in the running for the position left vacant after the September 1, 2009 resignation of Michael Shane Ellis. In November 2007, the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce launched an effort to recall Ellis citing Ellis’ “recent meeting absences and run-ins with the law that include dodging child support responsibilities, and driving under the influence.” The Chamber ended its recall efforts in April 2008 after stating they had secured the re-election of School Board members Felton Williams and Jon Meyer. The pressure continued to mount throughout 2008 and 2009 (see series of stories in “Election Coverage” below) until Ellis eventually resigned in September 2009.
Winner Tonight To Gear Up For April 2010
If McGinnis holds his lead and wins tonight, he will need to start his reelection effort as soon as possible. The winner of tonight’s election must run again in the April 13, 2010 school board election to seek a full four year term. Some questioned the costly special election being held in between the Christmas and New Year holiday which does not help the already expected low turnout. However, LBUSD officials had no choice stating the City Charter required the special election within 120 days of Ellis’ resignation
The district, covering one of the most diverse areas of Long Beach, includes: Chavez Elementary School, Edison Elementary School, International Elementary School, Lee Elementary School, Lincoln Elementary School, Stevenson Elementary School, Whittier Elementary School, Franklin Classical Middle School, and Renaissance High School for the Arts.
LBUSD School Board District 3 Election Coverage
Downtown Voters To Fill School Board Seat Today
School Board Candidates To Engage Voters Tomorrow
New School Board Candidate Emerges
City Clerk Seeks December Special LBUSD Election Approval
Did Michael Ellis Really Resign?
Ellis Resigns As LBUSD Boardmember
P-T Asks: Where Is Michael Ellis?
Chamber Ends Ellis Recall Effort
Videos: Board & Public Call For Ellis’ Resignation
Ellis Refuses School Board’s Call For Resignation
Chamber Asks Ellis To Resign
Disclosure: lbpost.com publisher Shaun Lumachi is a government affairs advisor to the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce.