McCauley might join crowded Healthcare Board race
The hottest local race in the Nov. 8 election just added another potential candidate for a total of eight but could lose one of them to a different race.
Ollie McCaulley, a Marine Corps veteran who also serves as president of Gonzales-McCaulley Investment Group Inc., pulled nomination papers for one of two full-term, four-year seats on the Antelope Valley Healthcare District Board of Directors, according to the Los Angeles County Registrar of Voters.
McCauley ran for office twice, two years ago. He challenged Assemblyman Tom Lackey, R-Palmdale, in the March 2020 primary for the 36th Assembly District seat. That race included Michael Rives and Steve Fox, who are also running for a four-year seat on the AV Healthcare District Board. In
November 2020, McCaulley ran unsuccessfully for the Palmdale City Council District 2 seat held by Mayor Pro Tem Richard Loa.
Other potential candidates for the two four-year seats on the Healthcare Board include incumbent Dr. Don Parazo, medical director Dr. Doddanna Krishna, healthcare worker Getro F. Elize, consumer healthcare attorney, electronics engineer Gordon V. Jefferson and John Bryson.
The AV Healthcare District Board of Directors also has a short-term, two-year seat up for election. As of Thursday, the five potential candidates are Palmdale Mayor Steve Hofbauer, Dr. Jawad Bermani, Diana Beard-Williams, former director and registered nurse Mateo Olivarez and Michael L. Jenkins.
Less than a week after Elize filed nomination papers for the AV Healthcare District Board, he pulled nomination papers for Palmdale City Council District 4 seat held by Councilman Juan Carrillo, according to the City Clerk’s office.
Elize joins potential candidate Eric Ohlsen, who also ran in the March 2020 primary for the 36th Assembly
District seat. Ohlsen ran for Palmdale mayor, in November 2020.
The deadline to file nomination papers is 5 p.m., today. However, since Carrillo is running for the 39th Assembly District seat, the filing deadline for his seat will be extended five days to 5 p.m., Aug. 17.
Former Palmdale Planning Commissioner Vergion Jesse Smith, who has run for Palmdale mayor numerous times, also pulled nomination papers for the Council District 4 seat.
The Palmdale City Council Districts 3 and 5 seats are also up for election this year.
Councilwoman Laura Bettencourt, who represents Council District 3, qualified for the Nov. 8 ballot. Samuel Garcia Jr. and David. T. Gomez filed nomination papers for the District 3 seat. Planning Commissioner Marcos Alvarez and Brian Uribe pulled nomination papers for the seat. Uribe also pulled nomination papers for a seat on the Palmdale School District Board of Education.
The newly created Council District 5 has four potential candidates: Erika Gloria Alverdi, Antony Calix Garcia, Mario Moises Melara and Jason Zink. Melara qualified for the Nov. 8 ballot. Alverdi filed her nomination papers.
In other races, educator/ academic counselor Miguel Coronado became the second person to file nomination papers to challenge Antelope Valley Community College District Board President Steve Buffalo for the Trustee Area No. 2 seat, according to the LA County Registrar of Voters.
Lancaster Social Equity Commission Vice Chair Giovanni Christon-Pope also filed nomination papers for the Trustee Area No. 2 seat. Buffalo; Board member Michael Adams; who represents Trustee Area No. 4; and Vice President Barbara Gaines, who represents Trustee Area No. 5, have filed their nomination papers for re-election.
Acton-Agua Dulce Unified School District appointed incumbent Brianna Taksony pulled nomination papers to run for the short-term, twoyear seat.
The District also has three full-term, four-year seats up for election. Incumbent Ken Pfalzgraf filed nomination papers to run for re-election. Challengers Mark E. Graff, Lester Victor Mascon and Michael Joesph Vensky pulled nomination papers for the full-term seats.
In the Keppel Union School District race for three four-year seats, Andrew Steven Ramirez, a retired military
enlistment (recruiter) filed nomination papers for a seat on the Keppel Union School District Board of Education. Incumbent Georgia Halliman filed nomination papers to retain her seat. Parent Blanca Nava filed nomination papers to run for a seat on the Board. Incumbent Theresa McCafferty pulled nomination papers to run for re-election.
Antelope Valley East Kern Water Agency Director Rob Parris filed nomination papers to retain his Division 5 seat. Incumbents Shelly Sorsabal and Frank Donato each filed nomination papers to run for reelection in their respective divisions — Sorsabal for Division 1, Donato for Division 3. Appointed incumbent George Lane also filed nomination papers for the Division 4 short-term seat. Lancaster resident Shanna Roskilly pulled nomination papers for the Division 4 seat.
In the Wilsona School District race, PTO President Daniela “Dani” Sanchez filed nomination papers for the Trustee Area No. 3 seat held by Robert Harris. Harris filed nomination papers to run for re-election.
Incumbents Anne E. Misicka filed nomination papers for re-election for the Trustee Area No. 2 seat. Robert D. Miller pulled nomination papers to run for the Trustee Area No. 1 seat.
Alfredo Andrade pulled nomination papers to run for a seat on the Quartz Hill Water District Board of Directors. Incumbent Allen Grant Flick and appointed incumbents Rodney C.”Rod” Holtz and Drew Mercy have filed their nomination papers to retain their seats.
No further updates were available by press time, Thursday.