Three Races Will be Decided in Special CVUSD Election
THERMAL — Voting is now underway in a special CVUSD election in Imperial County to decide who will sit on the Board of Trustees for the next four years.
Vote-by-mail ballots were sent out to registered voters on Monday, Feb. 3 for the March 4 special election.
The special election is necessary because an estimated 2,400 ballots for Imperial County voters within CVUSD boundaries left out three contested trustee area races in the Nov. 5 general election,
Six candidates are vying for three seats on the seven-member CVUSD board. All incumbents are facing challengers at a challenging time for the District. Candidates seeking a seat on the CVUSD board of education are:
- Trustee Area 1 (Coachella): Agustín Arreola is running against Trinidad “Trini” Arredondo, who seeks a second term. He was first elected in 2020.
- Trustee Area 2 (Thermal): Altrena Santillanes is challenging Jesus Gonzalez, who has also served on the board since 2020.
- Trustee Area 4 (Mecca and North Shore): Adrian Rodriguez is challenging incumbent Jocelyn Vargas. She was elected to the board in 2020 after running unopposed.
The teachers’ union has endorsed Arredondo, Santillanes and Rodriguez.
The race that has captured the most attention is Trustee Area 4 the residency of Vargas has been called into question.
A formal complaint has been filed with the District Attorney’s office.
If you are wondering who’s pouring money into the respective campaigns, All candidates and political action committees must report contributions totaling $1,000 or more within 24 hours to the Riverside County Registrar of Voters. You can find these reports by clicking here: https://voteinfo.net/agency/ctriv
