Orange County Board of Education Trustee Lisa Sparks is looking to retain her seat in a newly-redrawn South Orange County district while former Laguna Beach Unified Superintendent Sherine Smith attempts to unseat her.
Sparks, 55, a Chapman University professor and board trustee since 2018, faces Smith, 64, who has served in the Capistrano Unified School District.
Whoever wins in the June 7 election becomes the final winner, without any further election in November, and will represent Trustee Area 5.
The district, recently redrawn following the latest U.S. Census count, covers south Orange County: Aliso Viejo, Coto de Caza, Dana Point, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, and parts of Newport Beach and Lake Forest.
The seat is one of three up for election on the five member elected panel. The three incumbents are part of a politically active board that have used their posts to push a conservative agenda.
Smith has argued that the incumbents have wasted millions of taxpayer dollars on lawsuits.
Sparks has raised more than $203,000 while Smith has brought in over $182,000, according to campaign finance disclosure reports filed with the Orange County Registrar of Voters.
But there’s additional money behind Smith, with a couple of political action committees working to oust both Sparks and fellow trustee Mari Barke.
One group — called the Orange County Great Public Schools to Oppose Lisa Sparks and Mari Barke — has contributed $140,000 to another political action committee called Women for American Values and Ethics.
That group has spent $63,892 against Barke and $70,758 against Sparks. The Women PAC also contributed to Sparks and Barke’s opponents.
Early results tonight will begin with ballots that were mailed before Election Day. Check here for updates as the vote counts come in.
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