Mister Phillips
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Mister Phillips represents an at-large seat on the West Contra Costa Unified School District school board in California. Phillips won the seat in the at-large general election on November 8, 2016.[1]
Phillips previously ran for a seat on the board. He was defeated in the general election on November 4, 2014.
In addition to choosing two new board members, citizens of the West Contra Costa Unified School District voted on whether the district should extend its funding measure for eight more years. The candidates running in this race discussed the measure in a candidate forum on September 29, 2016. Those in favor of passing the measure said it was necessary after a forensic financial audit revealed the district had misspent construction bond funds, leaving little funding left to complete renovations. Those opposed to extending the measure suggested the district instead look to private funding sources.
The controversy surrounding the district's misspent bond funds led to the resignation of former superintendent Bruce Harter and the hiring of new superintendent Matthew Duffy. In an effort to regain community members' trust, board member Valerie Cuevas proposed limiting campaign contributions to $1,000 for school board elections. Cuevas said such limits would help the voters have faith in the district again, but other board members and school board candidates disagreed.
The district was also involved in other funding conflicts. In June 2016, the district had to amend its spending plan for state funds after a complaint filed with the California Department of Education revealed $4.3 million had been omitted from a fund earmarked for services for high need students. In March 2016, the district settled a lawsuit with the California Charter Schools Association that alleged the district had not shared previous bond money with its charter school students.
Biography
Mister Phillips is a resident of Contra Costa County. Phillips earned an A.A. degree in English, social science, and liberal arts from Solano Community College, a B.A. in English and political science from San Francisco State University, and a J.D. from the University of California at Hastings.
He served as an officer with the United States Navy Reserve from 2004 to 2013 and also spent three years as a substitute teacher in the district. Phillips owned his own law practice for nine years before becoming a labor relations representative with the California School Employees Association in 2014.[2]
Elections
2016
Two of the five seats on the West Contra Costa Unified School District Board of Education were up for at-large general election on November 8, 2016. No incumbents filed to run for re-election, guaranteeing two new members joined the board. Former candidates Mister Phillips, Antonio Álvarez Medrano, and Ayana Kirkland Young and newcomers Don Gosney, Tom Panas, Miriam "Stephanie" Sequeira, and Carlos Taboada ran for the seats.[3] Phillips and Panas were elected to the board.[4]
Results
| West Contra Costa Unified School District, At-large General Election, 4-year terms, 2016 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Mister Phillips |
22.63% | 28,018 |
| Tom Panas |
18.57% | 22,990 |
| Miriam Sequeira | 15.98% | 19,777 |
| Ayana Kirkland Young | 12.55% | 15,529 |
| Antonio Álvarez Medrano | 12.08% | 14,954 |
| Carlos Taboada | 11.05% | 13,683 |
| Don Gosney | 6.84% | 8,468 |
| Write-in votes | 0.29% | 363 |
| Total Votes | 123,782 | |
| Source: Contra Costa County , "Presidential General Election Official Results - Final," accessed December 7, 2016 | ||
Funding
Phillips reported $31,029.64 in contributions and $21,236.95 in expenditures to the Contra Costa County Elections Division, which left his campaign with $9,792.69 on hand as of October 22, 2016.[5]
Endorsements
Phillips was endorsed by the following organizations and elected officials:[6][7][8][9][10]
|
|
Phillips was also endorsed by a number of retired officials and school board members from other districts. Click here to see a list of his supporters.
2014
The election in West Contra Costa featured three at-large seats up for general election on November 4, 2014. Incumbents Madeline Kronenberg and Elaine Merriweather faced eight challengers for the three at-large seats. The challengers were Elizabeth Block, Peter Nicholas Chau, Otheree Christian, Valerie Cuevas, Raquel Donoso, Mister Phillips, Chester R. Stevens, and Ayana Kirkland Young. Board President Charles T. Ramsey did not file for re-election.
Kronenberg, Block, and Cuevas won the election.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Elizabeth Block |
19.5% | 21,463 | |
| Nonpartisan | Madeline Kronenberg Incumbent |
15.4% | 16,950 | |
| Nonpartisan | Valerie Cuevas |
13.5% | 14,857 | |
| Nonpartisan | Mister Phillips | 11.8% | 13,027 | |
| Nonpartisan | Raquel Donoso | 10.1% | 11,064 | |
| Nonpartisan | Elaine Merriweather Incumbent | 8.8% | 9,737 | |
| Nonpartisan | Peter Nicholas Chau | 7.8% | 8,609 | |
| Nonpartisan | Chester R. Stevens | 4.5% | 4,946 | |
| Nonpartisan | Ayana Kirkland Young | 4.2% | 4,607 | |
| Nonpartisan | Otheree Christian | 4% | 4,429 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 0.4% | 390 | |
| Total Votes | 110,079 | |||
| Source: Contra Costa County Registrar of Voters, "Official Results - November 4, 2014 General Election," accessed January 2, 2015 | ||||
Funding
Candidates had to file contribution reports within 24 hours of receiving an aggregate total of $1,000 or more from a single source. The first scheduled pre-election report filing deadline was October 6, 2014. If candidates raised or spent less than $1,000 during the 2013 and 2014 calendar years, they had to file Form 470 at that time. If candidates raised or spent more during that time, they had to file Form 460 by the pre-election report filing deadline.[11]
Candidates required to file Form 460 also had to file a second pre-election report on October 23, 2014, and they had to file termination reports by December 31, 2014. If a termination report was not filed, candidates had to file a semi-annual report by February 2, 2015.[11]
Phillips reported $19,801.00 in contributions and $10,317.00 in expenditures during the election, which left him with $9,484.00 on hand according to the Contra Costa County Elections Division.[12]
Endorsements
Phillips received endorsements from:[13]
- West Contra Costa Unified School District Trustee Randall Enos
- West Contra Costa Unified School District Trustee Elaine Merriweather
- U.S. Representative Mike Thompson (D)
- State Senator Mark DeSaulnier (D-7)
- El Cerrito Mayor Janet Abelson
- Hercules Mayor Myrna de Vera
- San Pablo Mayor Paul Morris
- California Democratic Party
- Democratic Party of Contra Costa County
- Association Employees Union
- Black American Political Action Committee of Contra Costa County
- Black Women Organized for Political Action
- Northern California Coalition of Black Trade Unionists
- Public Employees Union, Local 1
- United Professional Fire Fighters of Contra Costa County
Campaign themes
2016
Phillips highlighted the following issues on his campaign website:
| “ | School safety
The school district must keep our children safe. Student engagement The school district must engage our children in meaningful ways. Academic achievement The school district must prioritize learning. Employee morale The school district must treat its employees with dignity and respect. Parental involvement The school district must involve us in the education of our children.[14] |
” |
| —Mister Phillips (2016)[15] | ||
2014
Phillips highlighted the following platform on his campaign website:
| “ | Mister’s vision is that every student will attend a safe school where they are engaged and able to achieve academically. If elected, he will strive to achieve his vision for the sake of all children, regardless of where they live or attend school.
Mister's plan is simple: focus on school safety, student engagement, academic achievement, and employee morale. Mister knows that we will turn our school district around, when we make positive changes in these four areas. As a parent of two young children, turning our school district around is extremely important to Mister.[14] |
” |
| —Mister Phillips (2014)[16] | ||
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Mister Phillips' 'West Contra Costa Unified School District'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- West Contra Costa Unified School District, California
- West Contra Costa Unified School District elections (2016)
- West Contra Costa Unified School District elections (2014)
External links
- Office website
- Campaign website
- Campaign Facebook page
- Democracy.com profile
- Twitter page
- LinkedIn page
Footnotes
- ↑ Contra Costa County, California, "Contest/Candidate Proof List Presidential General Election," accessed August 18, 2016
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Mister Phillips," accessed November 3, 2014
- ↑ Contra Costa County, California, "Contest/Candidate Proof List Presidential General Election," accessed August 18, 2016
- ↑ Contra Costa County, "Unofficial Results - Election Night Final," accessed November 9, 2016
- ↑ Contra Costa County Elections Division, "Contra Costa County Public Portal for Campaign Finance Disclosure," accessed November 1, 2016
- ↑ Democratic Party of Contra Costa County, "2016 General Election Final Endorsements," October 10, 2016
- ↑ United Teachers of Richmond CTA/NEA, "Phone Banking and Canvassing for 55,58, T, and School Board," September 18, 2016
- ↑ Richmond Progressive Alliance, "Support Measure T and school board candidates who will strengthen our neighborhood schools," accessed October 11, 2016
- ↑ Contra Costa Building and Construction Trades Council, "2016 Endorsements," accessed October 13, 2016
- ↑ Mister Phillips for West Contra Costa School Board: Putting students first and raising expectations, "Endorsements," accessed October 13, 2016
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Fair Political Practices Commission, "Filing Schedule for Candidates and Controlled Committees for Local Office Being Voted on November 4, 2014," accessed August 19, 2014
- ↑ Contra Costa County Elections Division, "CampaignDocs Search Engine," accessed October 28, 2014
- ↑ Mister Phillips for West Contra Costa Unified School District Governing Board, "Endorsements," accessed October 25, 2014
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Mister Phillips for West Contra Costa School Board: Putting students first and raising expectations, "Issues," accessed October 13, 2016
- ↑ Mister Phillips for West Contra Costa Unified School District Governing Board, "Home," accessed November 3, 2014
| 2016 West Contra Costa Unified School District Elections | |
| Contra Costa County, California | |
| Election date: | November 8, 2016 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Don Gosney • Antonio Álvarez Medrano • Tom Panas • Mister Phillips • Miriam "Stephanie" Sequeira • Carlos Taboada • Ayana Kirkland Young |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
