Hector Camacho appears to have won a closely contested race for San Mateo County Superintendent of Schools, after the latest batch of votes was processed Monday afternoon.
Results from the San Mateo County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder & Chief Elections Officer show Camacho with a lead over opponent Chelsea Bonini of nearly 12,000 votes, with no more outstanding ballots left to process.
As of Monday, Camacho led the unofficial results with 86,428 votes, or about 53.7% of those cast, to Bonini’s 74,517 votes or 46.3%.
Any ballots that were mailed by election day and arrive by Tuesday will still be counted and there were about 1,000 challenged ballots that need to be reviewed. The results will be certified by July 2.
With only two candidates in the race, the winner will be declared without needing a runoff in the general election, which occurs if no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote.
Camacho is the current executive director of Equity, Social Justice, and Inclusion at the San Mateo County Office of Education.
He said his campaign focused on supporting early literacy programs, teacher retention and expanding college and career preparation programs.
“This campaign has always been about children and the communities that surround them,” Camacho said in a statement.
“People from every corner of San Mateo County came together around a simple belief: every child deserves the opportunity to thrive. I am profoundly grateful to the volunteers, families, educators, students, and neighbors who placed their trust in me. I carry that trust with humility, and I will work every day to honor it,” he said.
Bonini is a member of the San Mateo County Office of Education Board of Trustees, a teacher and attorney who received the endorsements of the California Teachers Association and state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond.
She did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Camacho trailed slightly in the contest on election night, but later updates pushed him ahead point by point.
“The election may be ending, but the work is just beginning,” Camacho said. “At a time when public education faces both extraordinary opportunities and significant challenges, our responsibility is to move forward together, ensuring every child is seen, supported, and prepared for whatever path they choose.”
San Mateo County has 23 independent school districts. The superintendent of schools oversees the San Mateo County Office of Education, which approves each district’s budget and ensures schools are complying with state and federal requirements.
The superintendent also oversees special education programs, among other duties. They serve a 4-year term.
Camacho will take over from outgoing Superintendent of Schools Marco Chavez, who was appointed to the role last February following the retirement of Nancy Magee.
Magee died in April after battling cancer, according to U.S. Rep. Kevin Mullin, D-San Mateo.
Both Magee and Mullin endorsed Camacho, as did four of the five current members of the county Board of Supervisors, multiple labor organizations and local teachers’ chapters, California Working Families Party and others.
Camacho holds a master’s degree in education from Stanford University.
He served for over a decade on the San Mateo County Board of Education, and represented South San Francisco, San Bruno, and portions of Daly City, according to his campaign website.
He was previously a teacher and served as an advisory or administrator at Saint Francis High School, Columbia Middle School and schools in Sequoia Union High School District.