One write-in candidate files for Zuni Public Schools seat
Two candidates have withdrawn from the District 5 race for seats with the Gallup-McKinley County Schools Board of Education, officials confirmed.
McKinley County Director of Elections Rick Palochak said Amparo Beatty and Carmen Radcliff withdrew from the District 5 race this week. That leaves candidates Esther Macias, Gerald O’Hara and Michael Schaff in that race.
“There have been a couple of changes,” Palochak said. “We also have the final ballot order.”
The first week of Jan. 3 was the deadline to file as a write-in candidate for school board seats as well as seats on the board of Zuni Public Schools. The two districts operate separately from each other, but are located in McKinley County.
“There have been a couple of changes,” Palochak said. “We also have the final ballot order.”
The race for District 2 of the Gallup-McKinley County School Board of Education has Sandra Jeff, Freda Joe and Charles Long facing each other. Jeff is a former member of the New Mexico House of Representatives. She is from Crownpoint and attracts controversy because some believe she lives in Albuquerque and not in the actual school district that she represents. Long is a former McKinley County Treasurer.
The District 4 race contains Brenda Chicharello and Christopher Mortensen. The Zuni Public Schools Position 3 filed contains Jerome Haskie and the Position 4 Zuni race includes Shelly Chimoni. Willard Zunie filed to run as a write-in candidate for Zuni’s District 5.
In the race for seats on the Local Advisory Board of the University of New Mexico-Gallup, Priscilla Smith and Edwin Begay are vying for the Position 1 seat and Marvin Murphy and Ralph Richards are contesting the Position 2 seat.
Palochak said no one filed to run for the Position 3 UNM-G Local Advisory Board seat, which means that post will be appointed.
Members of the Gallup-McKinley County Board of Education serve four-year volunteer terms. Current school board members Joe Menini (District 5) and Lynn Huenemann (District 2) aren’t running again. The UNM-Gallup and Zuni seats are volunteer terms, also.
Each of the candidates running for the three entities is a Democrat, except Richards who is a Republican. The original filing date was Dec. 20.
By Bernie Dotson
Sun Correspondent
