MUHSD race: Opinski holds slim lead over Johnson

Only 31 votes separate challenger Greg Opinski and incumbent Ida Johnson in the Area 1 race for a seat on the Merced Union High School District board of trustees. More than 7,000 absentee and provisional ballots remain to be counted from Tuesday’s election, adding uncertainty to the outcome.

Opinski had 38.49 percent of the vote; Johnson, a trustee for eight years, had 37.76 percent. Merced County Registrar of Voters Barbara Levey didn’t expect to announce any changes in Wednesday’s vote totals until ballot-counting and verification are complete.

Levey said counting will begin Thursday for 5,757 mail-in or absentee ballots and another 1,505 provisional ballots.

Johnson said if Opinski wins the election she wishes him well. If she prevails, Johnson said, she will continue to do what she can to help improve local schools, particularly in the area of career and technical education.

“I love my community,” Johnson said.

Opinski said he is looking forward to serving on the board. With Mary I. Mercado also on the ballot and receiving 23.35 percent of the vote, Opinski said Mercado’s presence on the ballot helped his vote total and the election outcome was different than it might have been otherwise.

“I ran because they’ve got some tough financial decisions ahead of them,” Opinski said. “Hopefully I can help out with tough financial decisions.”

A Gustine native and Merced resident since 1990, Opinski is a building contractor. He sued the district for about $1.5 million for breach of contract in connection with Livingston High School remodeling and is awaiting the outcome of arbitration.

Opinski said his company isn’t doing any public works projects now and the lawsuit wouldn’t be awkward for him as a board member.

Other school district results from Tuesday’s voting:

▪ Incumbent Merced College trustee Dennis Jordan received 60.22 percent of the vote in Area 4, and his challenger William Hamilton had 39.11 percent.

▪ Merced City School District Board of Education member Adam Cox was re-elected with 59.88 percent of the vote, and Priya Lakireddy had 39.58 percent of the vote.

▪ In the Ballico-Cressey School District, Eric Harcksen, Jana Nairn and former board member Thomas S. March were elected. Harcksen, a farmer, had 35.6 percent of the vote; Nairn logged 27.85 percent; and March garnered 20.24 percent. Xochitl French had 16.03 percent of the vote.

▪ In the Delhi Unified School District, incumbent Brenda Saavedra, educator Lee Scott Ridge and pastor Zeke Nelson were elected. Saavedra had 15.98 percent of the vote, followed by Ridge with 13.48 percent and Nelson at 13.03 percent.

Laronna Talai White was the top vote-getter for the short-term Delhi trustee seat with 46.30 percent; incumbent trustee Jesus Rodriguez finished with 33.03 percent of the vote and Andres Garza III had 20.44 percent.

▪ In the Dos Palos-Oro Loma Unified School District, Marilyn Cox, incumbent Richard Hogue and Fred Coronado were elected out of a field of six candidates. Cox had 22.77 percent of the vote, followed by Hogue at 19.49 percent and Coronado at 18.31 percent.

▪ In the Gustine Unified School District, Crickett M. Brinkman ousted Area 1 incumbent Christine Souza Parreira for a board seat. Brinkman had 60.27 percent of the vote and Parreira had 39.73 percent. Lettie Borelli, a farmer, received 58.87 percent of the vote in Area 5 to win a seat compared with 41.13 percent for Nancy Bonta.

▪ In the Hilmar Unified School District, five people sought two positions on the board. Incumbent Rob Machado emerged on top with 32.5 percent of the vote, and Anne Almeida was second with 28.85 percent.

▪ In the Le Grand Elementary School District, Emily Palmer captured the Area 5 seat with 57.75 percent of the vote, and Freddie R. Chavez had 42.25 percent.

▪ In the Le Grand Union High School District, three people sought two trustee seats. Julie S. Giampaoli emerged on top with 37.96 percent of the vote, and incumbent David Serrano had 34.30 percent. Fernando Nava finished out of the running in third with 27.3 percent of the vote.

▪ In the Los Banos Unified School District, incumbent Dennis Areias was re-elected to the Area 1 seat with 56.08 percent of the vote, and Fredrick D. Todd had 42.88 percent of the vote. In Area 3, Marlene Smith was elected with 58.18 percent of the vote, compared with challenger Andree A. Soares’ 41.41 percent showing.

▪ In Area 7, incumbent John Mueller was returned with 52.27 percent of the vote, compared with 47.73 percent for Ruben Santos.

▪ In the Livingston Union School District, Yolanda Pulido-Correia won with 64.26 percent of the vote, and Michael McGuire had 35.74 percent.

▪ In the Merced River School District, Robert Gamble Jr. was elected along with Lorrie McDowell. Gamble had 39.91 percent of the vote, and McDowell had 37.34 percent. Finishing third was appointed incumbent George Soares Jr. with a 22.75 percent showing.

This story was originally published November 5, 2014 at 6:11 PM with the headline "MUHSD race: Opinski holds slim lead over Johnson."