AVUHSD Board gets three newcomers

LANCASTER — The Antelope Valley Union High School District is guaranteed to have three new Board members, since none of the incumbents ran for reelection.

The seats up for election are for Trustee Area No. 1, Trustee Area No. 4 and Trustee Area No. 5.

Retired correctional officer Charles Hughes and retired District teacher Susan Strom are vying for the Trustee Area No. 1 seat. Early returns showed Hughes ahead of Strom. He had 4,813 votes, or 53.47%, while Strom had 4,189 votes, or 46.53%, according to results posted by the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s office.

In the three candidate Trustee Area No. 4 race, adjunct college professor Carla Corona was ahead with 1,901 votes, or 48.92%, followed by parent and community advocate Raquel Alva Derfler with 1,275 votes, or 32.81%. Nonprofit executive Juan Blanco had 710 votes, or 18.27%, according to the clerk’s office.

Early returns showed skilled trades educator Miguel Sanchez with a commanding lead over current Wilsona School District Trustee Vladimir Gomez for the Trustee Area No. 5 seat. Sanchez had 2,894 votes, or 62.21% and Gomez had 1,758 votes, or 37.79%.

The results reflect vote-bymail ballots returned before Election Day. Results will change as an unknown number of ballots remain to be processed, including vote-by-mail ballots postmarked by Election Day but received later and conditional voter registration ballots.