Mars Serna
2022 - Present
2026
2
Mars Serna is a member of the Fontana Unified Board of Education in California, representing Area 1. He assumed office on December 9, 2022. His current term ends on December 11, 2026.
Serna ran for re-election to the Fontana Unified Board of Education to represent Area 1 in California. He won in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Elections
2022
See also: Fontana Unified School District, California, elections (2022)
General election
General election for Fontana Unified School District Board of Education Area 1
Incumbent Mars Serna defeated Lauren Gomez, Terry McCaffrey, and Maria Arias in the general election for Fontana Unified School District Board of Education Area 1 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Mars Serna (Nonpartisan) | 46.7 | 3,449 |
 | Lauren Gomez (Nonpartisan) | 28.2 | 2,087 | |
| Terry McCaffrey (Nonpartisan) | 17.8 | 1,316 | ||
| Maria Arias (Nonpartisan) | 7.3 | 541 | ||
| Total votes: 7,393 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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2018
General election
General election for Fontana Unified School District Board of Education At-large (3 seats)
The following candidates ran in the general election for Fontana Unified School District Board of Education At-large on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Adam Perez (Nonpartisan) | 20.8 | 13,465 |
| ✔ | | Mars Serna (Nonpartisan) | 20.4 | 13,222 |
| ✔ |  | Mary Sandoval (Nonpartisan) | 20.2 | 13,098 |
| Matt Slowik (Nonpartisan) | 16.5 | 10,730 | ||
 | Kareem Gongora (Nonpartisan) | 12.4 | 8,015 | |
| Anahi Ahumada (Nonpartisan) | 9.7 | 6,321 | ||
| Total votes: 64,851 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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2017
One of the five seats on the Fontana Unified School District Board of Education in California was up for at-large special election for a one-year term on November 7, 2017, due to a vacancy on the board. The vacancy was created when former member Jesse Armendarez resigned after being elected to the Fontana City Council.[1][2][3] Kareem Gongora and Mars Serna ran for the seat, and Serna won the election. Both candidates previously ran for a seat on the board.[4][5][6]
Results
| Fontana Unified School District, At-large Special Election, 1-year term, 2017 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Mars Serna |
62.12% | 2,529 |
| Kareem Gongora | 37.88% | 1,542 |
| Total Votes | 4,071 | |
| Source: San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters, "Final Certified Election Results," accessed November 28, 2017 | ||
Funding
Serna began the race with an existing account balance of $1,869.00 from his previous campaign. He reported $1,747.25 in contributions and $2,223.78 in expenditures to San Bernardino County Voter Registration, which left his campaign with $1,392.47 on hand in the election.[7]
Endorsements
Serna was endorsed by the following organizations:[8][9]
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Serna was also endorsed by former members and community members. Click here for a list of his supporters.
2016
Two of the five seats on the Fontana Unified School District Board of Education were up for at-large general election on November 8, 2016. In their bids for re-election, incumbents Barbara Chavez and Lorena Corona faced four opponents: Mars Serna, Peter Garcia, Jason O'Brien, and Bobbi Chavarria. Garcia and O'Brien won the election.[10][11]
Results
| Fontana Unified School District, At-large General Election, 4-year terms, 2016 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Peter Garcia |
22.27% | 13,491 |
| Jason O'Brien |
21.36% | 12,939 |
| Mars Serna | 18.54% | 11,230 |
| Barbara Chavez Incumbent | 13.57% | 8,223 |
| Lorena Corona Incumbent | 13.18% | 7,986 |
| Bobbi Chavarria | 11.09% | 6,717 |
| Total Votes | 60,586 | |
| Source: San Bernadino County Elections Office of the Registrar of Voters, "Final Certified Election Results," accessed December 7, 2016 | ||
Funding
Serna reported $7,248.00 in contributions and $5,379.00 in expenditures to the San Bernardino County Elections Office of the Registrar of Voters, which left Serna's campaign with $1,869.00 on hand in the election.[12]
Endorsements
Serna was endorsed by the Fontana Teachers Association, the Fontana School Police Officers Association, and the Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO of San Bernardino and Riverside counties.[13]
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Mars Serna did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2017
Serna highlighted why he ran for a seat on the board on his campaign website:
| “ | WE NEED ONE UNITED DISTRICT...
Throughout my career, I’ve worked with parents and various other stakeholders to improve educational outcomes for students in this region. I am a proud resident and parent within Fontana USD. I am running for school board because I have vested interest in seeing that every school is the best it can be. As your school board member, I will work collaboratively with various stakeholders to ensure that a quality education is available for every child. Our students should have safe and nurturing schools. We have many highly qualified teachers and administrators, but we need to create an environment that is conducive to retaining and attracting them here. Students should have adequate materials and tools in their respective classrooms. All our schools should have the same quality curriculum as any magnet or charter school in our region. Financial transparency will be a strong priority. I will keep an open mind and listen to our community stakeholders. I don't have all the answers and I won't try to convince you that I do, but I'm committed to do my best in building strong relationships and to work collaboratively with everyone to build a strong, healthy, financially viable district.[14] |
” |
| —Mars Serna (2017)[15] | ||
See also
2022 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Fontana Unified School District, "Applicants for Vacancy on the FUSD Board of Education," accessed June 30, 2017
- ↑ The Sun, "Newly sworn-in councilman to resign from Fontana Unified School District board," January 5, 2017
- ↑ Fontana Herald News, "Special election to determine fifth Fontana School Board member will be held Nov. 7; candidate filing period begins," July 19, 2017
- ↑ Fontana Herald News, "Mars Serna, Kareem Gongora are the two candidates for vacant seat on Fontana School Board," accessed August 15, 2017
- ↑ San Bernardino County Elections, "2017 Consolidated Election - November 07, 2017: Candidate List," accessed August 15, 2017
- ↑ San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters, "Final Unofficial Election Night Results," accessed November 8, 2017
- ↑ San Bernardino County Voter Registration, "Public Portal for Campaign Finance Disclosure," accessed February 12, 2018
- ↑ Evolve, "Endorsements: November 7, 2017 General Election," accessed October 25, 2017
- ↑ Mars 4 Fontana Schools, "Endorsements 2017," accessed October 25, 2017
- ↑ San Bernardino County Elections, "Candidate List," August 13, 2016
- ↑ San Bernadino County, "Final Unofficial Election Night Results," accessed November 9, 2016
- ↑ San Bernardino County Elections Office of the Registrar of Voters, "County of San Bernardino Public Portal for Campaign Finance Disclosure," accessed February 16, 2017
- ↑ Fontana Herald News, "Two challengers in Fontana School Board race get major endorsements," October 5, 2016
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Mars 4 Fontana Schools, "Why I'm Running," accessed October 25, 2017
