Check out The Citizen’s endorsement for this seat
Update 9/17/2024: Sinead Geneva Anderson has confirmed that she will participate in The Citizen’s Sep. 23 public forum at 3:30 pm.
Original article was published Sep. 12, 2024 at 3:30 pm.
A challenger has stepped forward in the Area 2 Peralta Community College (PCCD) Board of Trustees election.
Sinead Geneva Anderson, a former administrative assistant at Merritt College, declared her candidacy against Area 2 incumbent Trustee Paulina Gonzalez-Brito on Aug. 9.
The Citizen will hold public forums for each candidate on Sep. 23. The 45-minute forums will be an opportunity for candidates to share their thoughts and policy objectives with the Peralta community.
Gonzalez-Brito’s forum will be held at 2:30 p.m. and will be streamed online here.
Anderson’s forum will tentatively be held at 3:30 p.m. and will be streamed online here.
At time of writing, Anderson has not responded to The Citizen’s invitations to take part in a forum. This article will be updated if Anderson confirms her participation.
Recordings of the forums will be posted on The Citizen’s website.
The Citizen will also convene an editorial board to endorse a candidate following the forums.
Not sure whether you live in Area 2? Alameda County residents can find their local districts by entering an address into this online tool.
Once you find your Trustee Area, you can navigate to the PCCD Board of Trustees website to find your elected representative.
Everything we know about the race
Only Area 2 will be on the ballot in the coming election. Three other incumbent trustees, who were not challenged before the Aug. 9 deadline, will be reappointed to their seats by default, per California Election Code § 10515 and Education Code § 5326.5.
Anderson challenges Brito
Gonzalez-Brito, who uses she/her and they/them pronouns, has held their seat as the Area 2 Trustee since being appointed on March 7, 2023. They represent the residents of the southernmost region of the PCCD service area, which includes Castlemont and the Coliseum.
The Citizen obtained copies of public documents related to the Area 2 candidates from the Alameda County Registrar of Voters.
Any candidate running for public office in California must file a Declaration of Candidacy form with the local Registrar of Voters. Both incumbent candidates and other prospective candidates must file the form before the county deadline.
Optionally, candidates can submit an official Candidate Statement to appear on the county voters’ guide for a fee. For PCCD Trustee Area 2, the fee this year was $2,125, according to a representative from Alameda County Candidate Services.
Anderson filed a Declaration of Candidacy but did not file an accompanying Candidate Statement. A P.O. Box in Oakland is listed as her residence address on her declaration.
The document does not provide a website, a phone number or any additional contact information for Anderson.
Anderson’s ballot designation, which must be a current job title, or a title which a candidate held in the last year, says “Educator.” A 2022-2023 Merritt College course catalog named Anderson as a Staff Assistant in the Math, Science, and Applied Technology Division II Office.
According to the catalog, Anderson holds two Associate’s degrees from Merritt College and a Certificate from UC Berkeley.
Gonzalez-Brito filed their Declaration of Candidacy on Aug. 6, and listed their ballot designation as “Appointed Incumbent.”
In their Candidate Statement, Gonzalez-Brito wrote that in addition to being the incumbent, they are also a parent to a Laney College student.
“I know how important it is to center students in all decision making,” the statement reads. “As a trustee, I’ve been working to knock down barriers for students of color in East Oakland who have long been ignored or excluded by traditional institutions.”
Gonzalez-Brito has served as the PCCD Board President since Dec. 2023. Board President terms last one year.
READ MORE: Community organizer Paulina Gonzalez-Brito begins new chapter as Peralta Trustee
Unchallenged incumbents to be serve another four years
The terms of Area 1 Trustee Bill Withrow, Area 4 Trustee Nicky González Yuen, and Area 6 Trustee Dyana Delfín Polk were also up for re-election.
All three candidates declared their intent to run for another four-year term. However, because no other candidates declared intent to run against them, they will be re-appointed to the board by default, and will not appear on voters’ ballots.
The PCCD Board of Trustees is made up of seven publicly elected members. Each Trustee represents a geographical region of Alameda County that is served by the college district.
According to PCCD board policy, the trustees’ duties primarily include creating “policies that define the institutional mission” and “set prudent, ethical and legal standards” for the colleges.
Trustees are also responsible for approving contracts, as well as appointing and evaluating the district’s chancellor.
Previous reporting from The Citizen cited that trustees receive a $458.46 monthly stipend, a $400 travel stipend, and a $100 cell phone stipend.
Board policy dictates that Peralta trustees are elected on four year terms. Seats for Areas 3, 5, and 7 will be up for reelection in 2026.
Early voting in Alameda County starts Oct. 7, and Election Day is Nov. 5. California residents can register to vote at registertovote.ca.gov.
Correction 9/22/5:54 p.m.: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated at Fruitvale is part of Area 2. While Fruitvale is in East Oakland, the neighborhood is split between Area 1 (Bill Withrow) and Area 3 (Louis Quindlen)
