Latest results for LAUSD board races are released

In a contest marked by controversy, Los Angeles Unified School Board candidate Sherlett Hendy Newbill held a slight lead over Khallid Al-Alim in the race for District 1, according to the first post-election day update released at 4:37 p.m. Wednesday.

Two LAUSD board candidates seeking different seats on the LAUSD board were embroiled in controversy. Al-Alim was accused of agreeing with antisemitic posts on social media and lost his backing from United Teachers Los Angeles, and another candidate temporarily was removed from her LAUSD administration job because of a lawsuit against her.

Joel Fox, adjunct professor at the Pepperdine School of Public Policy, said there's still a battle ahead for the District 1 seat. “Where are those votes going to go?” he asked. “If they go to the person who finished second, that person has a chance of beating (AlAlim).”

It's unclear, Fox added, what the next move would be for the union representing LAUSD teachers, which pulled its endorsement of Al-Alim this week. “Since they rescinded their endorsement, will they just sit on their hands? Or will they endorse his opponent?” he asked.

Candidates are vying to represent the board's odd-numbered Districts 1, 3, 5 and 7, with two incumbents running for their seats and two empty seats. The powerful seven-member Board of Education oversees policy for the Los Angeles Unified School District — the second-largest district in the nation.

Candidates who get more than 50% of the vote will avoid a runoff. Otherwise, the top two finishers in each of the four districts will advance to the November general election. For some races, the primary results may not be known for days or weeks, while votes are being counted.

The United Teachers Los Angeles made a dramatic move Monday, withdrawing its powerful endorsement of Al-Alim. He had been criticized for his activity on X, formerly Twitter, which was decried as antisemitic, and for fol