What, no Jim Monahan?
Why is this election different than the last 40-years? After over 4 decades Jim Monahan will not be seeking another term in the November 15 elections. Fifteen candidates will appear on the ballot to fill four city council seats plus candidates for the Ventura Unified School District board in Ventura’s first district elections.
The council and school board will have a new look with several new members guaranteed.
This election will be the first since Ventura moved to district-based elections. Ventura now has seven council districts. Each represents a different part of Ventura and replaces the at-large system of voting where voting was for every elected official.
City council candidates:
District 1: Irene Henry, Marcos Cuevas, Kevin Clerici and Sofía Rubalcava.
District 4: Incumbant Erik Nasarenko, Spencer Noren, Ed Alamillo, Mike Marostica, Alec Gasca and Wayne Morgan
Disrict 5: Marie Lakin, Jim Friedman and Jack Selby.
District 6: Charles Kistner Jr. and Lorrie Brown. This was Monahan’s area.
Leaving the council will be council member Mike Tracy and Mayor Neal Andrews. Both lose their seats because they are in Districts 2 and 3, neither of which is on the ballot this year. Should they decide to run in the future they can in 2020.
Ventura Unified school board candidates:
Seven candidates have qualified to run for three Ventura Unified School District board seats. The school district has five areas, 2 less than the council.
Area 1, 4 and 5 each has a seat up for election.
Area 1: Velma Lomax is the incumbent and is seeking another term. Tomas Luna and Anthony Krzywicki.
Area 4: Incumbent John Walker will not be seeking another term. Jerry Dannenberg, Deborah Meyer-Morris and Madhu Bajaj.
Area 5: Has no incumbent and only one person has qualified Matthew Almaraz.
To find out what district you are in go to https://map.cityofventura.net/java/ccvd/ and type in your address.
