The last two years have been tumultuous for WCCUSD, with leadership turnover, a historic strike and budget shortfalls.
At the center of it all is the school board, the five-member elected governing body that plays a critical role in solving such problems or avoiding them in the first place. These individuals collectively appoint the superintendent and have the power to cut or create new positions, approve terminations and provide guidance for contract negotiations between teachers and other district staff. Trustees also oversee the district’s budget plans and fiscal oversight.
In the 2024 general election only one of three open seats up was contested, giving voters little choice in who makes such important decisions. Now, in the upcoming Nov. 3 election, two seats are open. So far, each seat has one candidate running.
The candidate filing period opened July 13 and ends Aug. 7. (It will be extended five days if an incumbent doesn’t file.) To run, candidates must:
- Be a U.S. citizen;
- Be a registered voter at the time the Declaration of Candidacy is issued;
- Not have been convicted of a felony involving accepting or giving, or offering to give, any bribe, the embezzlement of public money, extortion or theft of public money, perjury, or conspiracy to commit any of those crimes; and
- Be registered in the political subdivision for which they are running.
There are no filing fees in school or special district elections.
Trustees help guide the direction and governance of the school district for four-year terms. Rather than running day-to-day operations, they set priorities, provide oversight and establish policies related to achievement, equity, school safety, curriculum, facilities, and district governance.
Each represents a geographic territory within the school district. Area 1, represented by Jamela Smith-Folds, encompasses the Hercules area. The Area 2 representative, board President Guadalupe Enllana, represents most of Richmond. Area 3, which includes parts of San Pablo and central and North Richmond, is represented by Trustee Cinthia Hernandez.
Up for election on Nov. 3 are Areas 4 and 5. Area 4 represents El Sobrante and parts of Richmond, including Hilltop; Area 5 represents El Cerrito, Kensington, East Richmond Heights, Richmond Annex, the Richmond Marina and Point Richmond.
Also, the Ward 1 seat representing Richmond and San Pablo on the Contra College Community School District board is up for election.
Incumbent seeking reelection in Area 4 seat
At the moment only the Area 4 race is uncontested. Trustee Demetrio Gonzalez-Hoy has said he is seeking a third term, and he’s so far he is not being challenged.
Gonzalez-Hoy was first elected in 2020. In his time on the board he has been considered a close ally for the teachers union, United Teachers of Richmond, where he once served as president.
He has already won its endorsement.
Zelon Harrison, chair of the school district’s African American Site Advisory Team and a member of the district Local Control Accountability Parent-Students Committee, had filed papers to run but withdrew her candidacy to support Gonzalez-Hoy.
After launching her campaign with a party and website earlier this year, she filed a follow-up document, dated April 1 and marked received by the county May 1, that she was terminating the committee.
Newcomer eyeing Area 5 seat
Caitlin Garibaldi, a Fairmont Elementary School parent and animal care professional, announced her candidacy online.
she is supporting Richmond City Council member Claudia Jimenez’s run for Richmond mayor. Photo courtesy of Caitlin Garibaldi
On her campaign website she said she believes “school should be fully staffed, every educator should be valued, and every student should have access to the programs, resources, and opportunities they deserve.”
“This campaign is about standing up for our schools, standing with our educators and families, and building a future our community can be proud of,” she states.
Garibaldi has already filed the required elections documents and established a “Garibaldi for WCCUSD Trustee 2026” campaign committee.
Currently the Area 5 seat is held by Leslie Reckler. She was elected in 2020 but said got involved in the district in 2005.
“What started as a parent’s desire to help grew into two decades of volunteering, advocacy, committee work, and service on the Board of Education,” Reckler wrote on her Facebook account and campaign website on July 13. “Thank you for allowing me the privilege of serving our children, our families, and our community. I am deeply grateful to everyone who placed their trust in me, challenged me, supported me, and worked alongside me over the years.”
John Marquez’s seat on Contra Costa College board is up for election
So far there are three candidates that have filed to run for the Ward 1 seat on the Contra Costa Community College district board. According to news reports, longtime Richmond political figure John Marquez doesn’t plan to run for reelection.
Marquez is endorsing Raquel Fanny Donoso a Richmond resident who works as the Equity in Education program lead for the Skyline Foundation. She was also the director of Mission Promise Neighborhood in San Francisco, CEO of the Latino Community Foundation, and Associate Director of the Latino Issues Forum.
Two politicos from the city of Pinole have also pulled papers for the seat: Mayor Pro Tempore Devin Murphy and Councilmember Cameron Sasai.
Murphy was elected to the Pinole city council in 2020. In Dec. 2022, he took over his city’s ceremonial mayor position, and became the first Black person, gay person, and youngest person to serve in the role. In 2024, he also unsuccessfully ran for the Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder seat.
Sasai, who was elected to the city council in 2022, broke Murphy’s record for the youngest mayor in 2024. Sasai also made history as the first Filipino American, second of Asian American descent, and youngest person to represent Pinole in its 120+ year history. He is also a product of the Contra Costa Community College.
