American flag on campus, taken by Angel Martinez, Co-Editor-in-Chief
Story by: Melissa Martinez, Staff Writer
The North Orange County Community College District (NOCCCD) Board of Trustees could see changes following the Nov. 3 general election, with two candidates leading their races and a sitting board member trailing behind.The NOCCCD Board of Trustees oversees Cypress College, Fullerton College and North Orange Continuing Education.
Beyond the election results, the decisions made by the NOCCCD Board of Trustees will continue to shape campus funding, student resources and educational opportunities for students across the district.
According to unofficial results from the Orange County Registrar of Voters, incumbent Barbara Dunsheath holds a strong lead in Trustee Area 1 with 67.46% of the vote, while Rama R. Maline received 32.54%.
In Trustee Area 3, Chloe Serrano leads with 62.31% of the vote. Larry Andre follows with 26.05%, while Paul Gonzales received 11.64%.
Trustee Area 6 remains the closest race, with Paulette Chaffee receiving 28.84% of the vote followed by Jesus Silvas 26.64%, and Zonya Townsend who holds 25.49%. Jeffrey P. Brown follows in fourth place with 19.03%.
If the results hold, Serrano and Chaffee would join the board, while Brown would lose his seat.
In Cypress City Council District 5, Randy Harper led the race with 1,965 votes, or 63.37% while Rachel Strong Carnahan, received 1,136 votes, or 36.63%. The district includes Cypress College, making the race particularly relevant to the campus community.
While local election results continue to unfold, California voters also weighed in on Proposition 40, a measure that would place a one-time 5% tax on individuals and trusts worth more than $1 billion.
The money collected would go toward healthcare, food assistance and education.
According to the Associated Press, 55.6% of voters opposed the proposition, while 44.4% supported it as of 7:20 a.m. Wednesday, with an estimated 60% of votes counted.
More than 4.2 million voters opposed the measure, compared to 3.4 million who supported it. Although opposition holds a significant lead, the Associated Press has not yet called the race.
At the statewide level, Democrat Xavier Becerra also made history after defeating Republican Steve Hilton in California’s governor’s race, becoming the state’s first Latino governor in more than 150 years, according to the Associated Press.
The election also raises questions about how California’s next administration will approach education funding, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs and resources for community college students, including those at Cypress College.
