The race is close for the local seat on the Santa Clara County Board of Education, with just over two percentage points separating the candidates.
As of 5 p.m. today (Nov. 4), incumbent Grace Mah leads with 51.01% (36,822 votes). Challenger Melissa Baten Caswell sits at 48.99% (35,362 votes). Countywide, an estimated 62% of the votes have been reported. More results are expected at 9 a.m. tomorrow.
This normally relatively obscure race has drawn an unusual amount of money and attention this election cycle, with more than $500,000 in campaign contributions pouring in. Mah had raised $323,311.32 as of the campaign finance disclosure period ending Oct. 17. Baten Caswell had collected $180,255.95.
Mah’s contributions were largely from political action committees supporting charter schools. That included a combined $180,000 from the Charter Public Schools PAC (plus more in nonmonetary contributions) before the Oct. 17 deadline. She has since received another $36,500 from the PAC.
Baten Caswell’s contributions were largely from individuals. The largest contributors were Steve Brown, Mark Goines and Sangeeth Peruri, who each gave $10,000. Goines and Peruri are former Los Altos School District trustees and Peruri managed Baten Caswell’s campaign. She also received nonmonetary contributions of campaign literature and mailings from the East Side Teachers Association Political Action Committee, valued at a combined $30,429.35.
Baten Caswell has served on the Palo Alto Unified School District Board of Education since 2008. Mah has held her seat on the county board since 2007.
The county board is made up of seven members, each serving a different geographic area. Mah and Baten Caswell are competing for the Area 1 seat, which covers the Los Altos, Mountain View Whisman, Mountain View Los Altos Union High and Palo Alto Unified school districts, as well as parts of the Fremont Union High and Sunnyvale school districts.
The county board oversees the Santa Clara County Office of Education, whose functions include providing educational services, and operating its own schools, for student groups including incarcerated youth, those who have been expelled, students with disabilities and migrant students. The county also operates early-learning programs for children age 5 and under and oversees the programs and finances of the charter schools it approves, including Bullis Charter School.
For continued updates as more results are released, check back at losaltosonline.com.
This story was updated with new vote totals at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 4.
