The Battle for Oakland's District 5 School Board Seat: Jorge Lerma and Sasha Ritzie-Hernandez in a Close Race
Key Highlights :
The Oakland Unified School District board is currently split over finances and political issues, and the only vacant seat is the District 5 seat. On Tuesday night, initial results showed that former school principal Jorge Lerma had a 63% to 37% advantage over opponent Sasha Ritzie-Hernandez. However, after nearly 1,300 additional eligible ballots were counted, the race has become much closer, with Lerma now having a 57% to 43% lead.
Labor groups have invested nearly $50,000 in Ritzie-Hernandez's campaign, as she is a strong union ally and has been endorsed by state Attorney General Rob Bonta. Lerma has seen no such financial support, though he has campaigned with former Mayor Libby Schaaf and one-time Councilmember Loren Taylor in the last days before the election.
Lerma's campaign has been based on diversifying the faculty at Oakland schools and converting the district’s smaller campuses into part-time community centers. Ritzie-Hernandez has not offered clear policy goals, but has said she is eager to learn on the job and be a trustable voice for marginalized students.
In his last bid for the District 5 seat, Lerma received just 11% of the vote in a three-candidate race. With the race now in a dead heat, it is unclear how many votes are left to count and who will ultimately win the election. The outcome of this race could have a major impact on the Oakland Unified School District board, as the District 5 seat is the only one vacant. It is up to the voters to decide who will fill the seat and bring new leadership to the district.
