June 22, 2025 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

George McKenna Wins LAUSD Board Seat

LAUSD
George McKenna. (Courtesy image)

It took nine long months, but the District 1 seat of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Board of Education is finally filled, and the winner is George McKenna. Coincidentally, the former school administrator campaigned hard to be appointed to the vacant seat in January, but his efforts were rebuffed as the LAUSD opted to have an election determine Board’s seventh member.

McKenna, 74, defeated fellow contender Alex Johnson, 33, by almost 1,800 votes in the Aug. 12 runoff election, according to results posted by the Los Angeles City Clerk’s office.

With all 324 precincts reporting by 11:42 p.m. on Aug. 12, McKenna reportedly earned 14,940 votes (53.18 percent) compared to 13,153 votes (46.81) for Johnson.

The City Clerk reported 28,366 ballots were cast, with about 10,883 voters showing up at the polls throughout Tuesday.

Total voter turnout was 8.28 percent.

The Aug. 12 election was a runoff race featuring the top two vote getters of the June 3 primary election. In that race, McKenna finished with more than 44 percent of the vote and finishing well ahead Johnson, who earned almost 25 percent of votes casted.

Specifically, McKenna earned 15,442 votes (44.28 percent) on June 3 – almost double that of second place. With 8,605 votes (24.67 percent), Johnson finished well behind McKenna but also well ahead of third place finisher Sherlett Newbill (3,293 votes, 9.44 percent).

Johnson is listed as an education policy advisor and served Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas as an assistant senior deputy for education and public safety. He also worked on teacher dismissal cases as a member of the Los Angeles Dept. of Education.

Other candidates included Rachel Johnson (1,870 votes), O.O. Manigault (1,836), and Hattie McFrazier (1,399).

In winning the Aug. 12 runoff, McKenna will complete the remainder of the LAUSD District 1 Board seat, which expires June 30, 2015.

McKenna, who was a principal at George Washington Preparatory School in South Central Los Angeles and a regional superintendent, had hoped to be appointed to the seat after the person who previously represented District 1 passed away in November. However, the LAUSD board voted to have a special election to fill the seat instead.

School board officials voted in January to hold a special election to fill the vacancy left by Marguerite LaMotte, who reportedly passed away Dec. 5 in San Diego, where she was attending a conference. At the time, LaMotte was the longest-serving member of the current board. She was 80.

LaMotte’s seat has been vacant since her death.

A portion of District 1 includes Century City and Palms.

Related Posts

LA City Councilwomen Yaroslavsky and Jurado Call for Legal Action Against Federal Immigration Raids

June 21, 2025

June 21, 2025

City Motion Targets Alleged Unconstitutional Tactics, End Qualified Immunity for Fed Officers  City Councilmembers Katy Yaroslavsky and Ysabel Jurado introduced...

Weekend Lane Closures on PCH in Malibu Could Snarl Summer Beach Traffic

June 21, 2025

June 21, 2025

Army Corps Work Triggers Weekend Closure on Pacific Coast Highway Motorists traveling along Pacific Coast Highway this weekend should prepare...

All Aboard to LAX: Metro Opens Game-Changing Transit Hub Ahead of Global Events

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

 New LAX/Metro Transit Center Comes Closer to Connecting Metro Directly to LAX The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro)...

Princess Diana’s Largest Wardrobe Auction Set for Beverly Hills

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

Over 200 Royal Garments to Hit the Auction Block for Charity More than 200 garments and royal artifacts, including the...

Queer Beauty Through the Ages: Getty Hosts Lecture on Greek Art’s Influence on LGBTQ Aesthetics

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

Art Historian to Trace Homoerotic Imagery From Ancient Greece to Modern Queer Identity As part of its ongoing Pride Month...

Food Fight on the Venice Boardwalk: Chefs Stand Up for Immigrants with Food

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

Turk’s Pizza Party Rallies Top Local Eateries for an Immigrant Rights Fundraiser In a bold display of culinary activism, Turk’s...

Navy Vietnam Vet Finally Gets His UCLA Commencement Moment

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

John Fong, 80, Missed His Graduation in 1968 While in Vietnam  Nearly six decades after completing his studies, U.S. Navy...

Culver City Launches Solidarity Campaign Alongside Hate Crimes Report Presentation

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

Join City Leaders on June 24 for a Community Presentation on Rising Hate Incidents Local officials and residents are invited...

Films, Flair, and Panoramas: Free Cultural Events Light Up The Ebell This Week

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

The Ebell Theatre Hosts a Double Feature of Films, Plus a Coffee Talk A pair of free public events this...

Culver City Police Nab Two Suspects in Canterbury Drive Burglary Case

June 19, 2025

June 19, 2025

Community Tip and Set Investigation Lead to Arrest of Repeat Offenders Culver City police have arrested two suspects in connection...

9th Circuit Court Backs Trump in Battle Over California National Guard Control

June 19, 2025

June 19, 2025

Federal Judges Allow Trump to Retain Command of Troops in Los Angeles Federal judges on Thursday cleared the way for...

Nightly I-405 Lane Closures Begin June 23 for Sepulveda Pass Rehab

June 19, 2025

June 19, 2025

Caltrans Will Shut Down Select Lanes Nightly Through June 28 The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has announced overnight lane...

(Video) Where great minds grow at The Willows Community School

June 19, 2025

June 19, 2025

The Willows, a DK-8 co-educational school, enrolls 474 students from 57+ zip codes annually. As a balanced, progressive educational leader, experiential learning,...

(Video) The Guest List Collab Dinner with Chef Raphael Lunetta and Chef Alan Wong

June 19, 2025

June 19, 2025

Held at Marelle Restaurant at The Sandbourne Hotel in Santa Monica. An Incredible mix of Hawaiian and Santa Monica’s flavors...

Summer Pop-Ups Serve Crullers, Challah Donuts, Croissants, Coffee and Musical Vibes

June 19, 2025

June 19, 2025

Nyletta Nyletta, Challah Dad, Des Croissants Paris Bring Pastry Delights to Culver City A pair of sweet summer pop-ups are...