Candidate Filing Deadline Extended for 12 School Board Contests
Several incumbents are also running unopposed in the Nov. 3, 2026 General Election.
The opportunity remains open for some candidates seeking to run for a selection of school board seats in Orange County in 2026.
In a dozen contests, incumbents did not file qualifying paperwork to run by the August 7 deadline. That means people interested in these seats now have until August 12 at 5 p.m. to submit the necessary forms to appear on the Nov. 3, 2026 General Election ballot. That's according to a press release from the O.C. Registrar of Voters.
The contests include the race for Trustee Area 1 in the Los Alamitos Unified School District. Incumbent Marlys Davidson is not seeking reelection. So far one candidate, Anne Mulhearn, a community volunteer and district parent, has qualified for the ballot. If no one challenges Mulhearn, she will automatically be installed into the seat. Trustee Area 1 includes portions of Los Alamitos and Cypress and the campus of Los Alamitos High School. (See map here.) The other seat on the Los Alamitos USD Board of Education up for a vote will not be on the upcoming ballot. That’s because incumbent and current Board President Diana Hill was the only candidate that qualified for the race to represent Trustee Area 3. Hill will remain board member, a title she's held since first being elected in 2010.
In the Cypress School District, two contests have had candidate filing deadlines extended. In Trustee Area D, longtime board member Lydia Sondhi, Ph.D., is not seeking reelection after serving on the board for 12 years. In a recent Facebook post, Dr. Sondhi stated that after years in public office she is “pivoting to spending more time with my husband traveling and visiting our incredible children who live on the East Coast.” The only candidate for Trustee Area D that has qualified for the ballot so far is Jeanette James, a non-profit leader. In Trustee Area B, incumbent Troy Tanaka did not file paperwork to run again. Jon Peat, a former member of the Cypress City Council, and John Torossian, a district parent, have both qualified to run to succeed Tanaka.
In the Capistrano United School District, the filing period has been extended for races for three seats of the seven member board. That includes the seat held by incumbent Gila Jones for Trustee Area 6. Jones filed a Declaration of Candidacy form on July 17, 2026, but the other necessary paperwork was not submitted in time. Parent/educator Mandy Bourne and businessperson/education advocate Jeanna Emmons will seek to win the seat. In Trustee Area 4, incumbent Gary Pritchard did not file paperwork to seek his seat again. Only Marco Carralero, a business owner, has qualified for the ballot so far. After being on the board since 2017, Judy Bullockus did not file paperwork to keep her seat representing Trustee Area 7. Ron Ruef, a youth sports director, and Linda Shepard, a businesswoman, have both qualified for the ballot to succeed Pritchard.
In the Newport-Mesa Unified School District, incumbent Ashley Anderson did not file all of the qualifying paperwork necessary to run for reelection for her seat representing Trustee Area 7 so the filing period has been extended. Two candidates, Andy Godinez, a parent and code enforcement officer, and Grace Dañino Hickok, a Spanish teacher and businesswoman, have qualified for the ballot. NMUSD board incumbents Lisa Pearson (Trustee Area 4) and Andrea McElroy (Trustee Area 5) will not face opposition in the election meaning they will keep their seats. In Trustee Area 2, incumbent Michelle Murphy will face challenger Craig Holiday, an attorney.
In the Fullerton School District, after serving on the school board for 20 years, Beverly Berryman will not seek reelection in 2026 leading to an extension in the candidate filing period for the contest. Amy Choi-Won, the president of the Career Education Foundation, and Jordan Abushawish, a senior director with CalOptima, have both qualified to run to replace Berryman. Current Board President Ruthi Hanchett will not face a challenger for her seat in 2026.
The Laguna Beach Unified School District holds at-large elections. For the 2026 contest, three seats on the five member board are on the ballot. Incumbent James Kelly is not seeking reelection, but incumbents Dee Perry and Joan Malczewski will run again. Other candidates include attorney and district parent Shaheen Sheik-Sadhal, mother and businesswoman Elizabeth Bates, and "tech CEO" and parent Kimberly Smith.
The Fountain Valley School District also holds at-large elections and had three seats slated to be on the 2026 ballot. Dennis Cole is the only incumbent running for reelection. Math teacher Carl Blankenhorn and school principal Rick Nichols have also qualified for the ballot as of August 8.
In the Saddleback Valley Unified School District, Trustee Area 5 incumbent Barbara Schulman is not seeking reelection for a seat she's held since 2019. Kris Spowart, a community volunteer, and Edgar Montes, a parent and counselor/educator have both qualified for the ballot. In Trustee Area 1, incumbent Dan Walsh was the only candidate to qualify for the ballot so he will retain his seat.
Interested in running? Materials for candidates can be found at the O.C. Registrar of Voters' office at 1300 S. Grand Ave., Building C in Santa Ana from Monday, Aug. 10 through Wednesday, Aug. 12 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.