Top 10 local-level races, 2016

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Top 10 local-level races

November 2, 2016
By the Local Desk

See also: Sample Ballot Lookup and Election results, 2016

Over half a million officials hold elected office in the United States. Thousands of elections are held each year. And it's difficult to know which ones to watch—and why. Ballotpedia has identified 10 races to watch in the 2016 election cycle. These are the races that will affect partisan control of government, future judicial appointments, and countless policies governing everyday life throughout the country. They are notable for their competitiveness, their ability to garner media attention, and their implications for future governance.

At the local level, Ballotpedia is watching mayor, city council, sheriff, and school board races. The futures of public school children in California, Nevada, Florida, and Michigan are on the ballot in hotly contested school board races, while issues of law enforcement, crime, and race are front and center in the contest for mayor of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. And the future of immigration policy along the U.S.-Mexico border is at stake in sheriff elections in Texas and Arizona. Here are your top 10 races at the local level.

#10: Travis County Sheriff in Texas

Sally Hernandez (D)

Travis County Sheriff:
Immigration is the main issue in this election for an open seat. Greg Hamilton (D), who took office in 2005, is not running for re-election in 2016. Joe Martinez (R), Sally Hernandez (D), Libertarian candidate Eric Guerra, and Green Party candidate Debbie Russell will face each other in the general election. Also on the ballot in Travis County are two of the five seats on the commissioners court, county attorney, county tax assessor-collector, all five constable positions, and four seats on the Austin Community College District Board of Trustees.

Joe Martinez (R)

The Secure Communities program, or "S-Comm," is a controversial topic in this race. S-Comm is a program, developed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, in which local law enforcement agencies submit fingerprints of deportable detainees to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and to immigration databases and hold detainees up to 48 hours until U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) takes custody. Hamilton has been a supporter of S-Comm, although the city council of Austin approved a resolution that aimed to convince the sheriff's office to opt out of participating in the program. Travis County deported approximately 19 people per week from 2009 to 2014, according to a article published in 2014 by the Austin Chronicle. Martinez said that he would continue Sheriff Hamilton's practices in regard to S-Comm and cooperation with ICE, while Hernandez said that she would "redefine Travis County’s relationship with ICE" and would have open communication and cooperation with the agency.

#9: Jersey City elections in New Jersey

Former Councilman Khemraj Ramchal

Jersey City Council and Jersey City Public Schools:
A regular election for three seats on the Jersey City Board of Education joins a special election for the city council's Ward B seat on the general election ballot. Three candidate slates emerged in the school board race with differing views on solving the long-struggling district's classroom and administrative issues. The Education Matters slate expressed a desire to shorten board meetings, build consensus between school leaders and local politicians, and improve public school curriculum and infrastructure. The same slate name was used by successful candidates in the 2015 election. The Jersey City United slate argues for a commitment to district diversity, increased responsiveness to community demands, and the modernization of communications between the school district and district parents. The Fix It Now slate proposes multi-lingual accessibility, moderate support for charter schools, mentor programs to prevent student violence, and building close relationships between the board of education and state and local officials. This election takes place as hours-long board meetings turn contentious and state officials debate new funding formulas for public schools.

A special election for Ward B on the city council will also take place. The city council appointed city attorney John Hallanan III to fill the seat until the special election could be held. The seat became vacant when Councilman Khemraj "Chico" Ramchal resigned in May 2016 after pleading guilty to two charges following a drunk driving accident in March 2015. Hallanan is running to retain the seat and faces challengers Chris Gadsden and LeKendrick Shaw.

#8: Los Banos schools in California

Los Banos Unified School District:
Two weeks after the candidate filing deadline closed for the Los Banos Board of Education election, Trustee Area 2 incumbent and former mayor Tommy Jones was arrested on bribery charges related to a construction contract for the district. After his arrest, residents of Trustee Area 2 and the president of the Los Banos Teachers Association called for Jones' resignation. Jones, however, maintained his innocence and refused to step down. Members of the school board responded by calling a special meeting to censure Jones in September 2016. This action helped to split the race for three school board seats into two camps: those supported by the teachers union and those supported by the Community Advocacy Coalition (CAC), a local advocacy group.

Board member Dominic Falasco

In Trustee Area 2, Jones' re-election bid is supported by the CAC while his opponent, Megan Goin-Soares, has been endorsed by the teachers union. Trustee Area 4 incumbent Dominic Falasco—an attorney who was also arrested in 2016 and charged with two misdemeanors for drug possession—and Trustee Area 6 challenger Margaret Benton have also been endorsed by the teachers union, while Falasco's opponent Gary Munoz and Trustee Area 6 incumbent Carole Duffy are supported by the CAC.

Not enough school board members attended the September 2016 special meeting to provide a quorum, leaving those in attendance unable to move forward with the vote to censure Jones. Members of the CAC said the audience at the meeting, which included some teachers, had expressed "hatred and racism" when the lack of quorum was announced. The teachers union president said the anger expressed at the meeting had not had racial undertones and had only been directed at the board members' absence. In reaction to the accusations of racism, CAC-backed candidates Jones, Munoz, and Duffy refused to attend a candidate forum in October 2016.

#7: Clark County schools in Nevada

Clark County School District logo

Clark County School District:
In 2016, the nation's fifth-largest school district obtained legislative approval to undertake a massive restructuring. The new structure calls for each school to be its own district with the principal acting as the primary decision-maker on issues such as budget, personnel decisions, salary amounts, and curriculum. The principals will be assisted by a committee of parents, teachers, school support staff, and students. The plan also requires the central office to cut its budget to 20 percent of the overall district budget, distributing 80 percent of the district's funding to the schools. Despite support from lawmakers, principals, city officials, and the teachers union, there were concerns from others in the community, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the Clark County School Board, about the ramifications of the reorganization, specifically in regard to the impact on the achievement gap as a result of the teacher salary policy that requires each school to pay an average teacher salary into a district-wide fund regardless of what they pay the teachers in their schools.

The election attracted 4.3 candidates per seat for the four seats up for election. The last election for the district that attracted a similar slate of candidates was the 2010 election that saw four candidates per seat. The primary election narrowed the 17 candidates down to eight. Incumbents in each subdistrict advanced to the general election from the primaries. The newly elected school board is expected to implement the restructuring plan in the 2017-2018 school year.

#6: Mayor and City Council of Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Baton Rouge Mayor and City Council:
Baton Rouge's elections in 2016 include races to replace term-limited Mayor Kip Holden (D) and to fill 12 city council seats. The Baton Rouge Metro Council has seven Republican members and five Democratic members entering the election, but the retirement of three Republican incumbents means partisan control of the council could switch. In races where no candidate wins an outright majority, the top two vote recipients will advance to a runoff election on December 10, 2016.

Candidates across the city are trying to answer questions about law enforcement, crime, and race following the fatal police shooting of Alton Sterling and the murder of three police officers by Gavin Long in July 2016. Sterling's death led to protests by local activists concerned about the police department's use of force, while Long's actions raised concerns among city officials of prolonged violence. These events took place following a 15.9 percent decline in the city's overall crime rate from 2010 (11.13 per 1,000 people) to 2015 (9.35 per 1,000 people).

#5: Mayor of Stockton, California

Stockton Mayor:
Stockton's crime rate and post-bankruptcy plans have shaped elections for mayor and three of six city council seats this year. Stockton declared bankruptcy in 2012 after years of dropping tax revenues and growing budget commitments. The city cut budgets for public safety departments prior to 2012, which may have contributed to a spike in violent crime rates. Mayoral candidates have sparred over the best direction for the city following its emergence from bankruptcy in 2015. Stockton's municipal elections are nonpartisan, but Mayor Anthony Silva identifies as a Republican and challenger Michael Tubbs identifies as a Democrat.

Mayor Silva touts a reduction in violent crimes since 2013 on his campaign website. He also states that the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Statistics for 2015 showed the lowest crime rate for Stockton since 2000. In September 2016, Silva proposed adding 73 officers to the police force, expanding security camera use, and restarting a gun buyback initiative to reduce violent crimes. Tubbs advocates for development of community policing and data-driven use of existing law enforcement personnel. He proposed expansion of the Office of Violence Prevention to connect at-risk residents with jobs and support programs. Tubbs also suggests a partnership between police, parks programs, and nonprofit organizations to create nighttime activities to engage local kids.

#4: "Build Better LA" Initiative in Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles Initiative:
This initiative spurring development with affordable housing and local labor will be on the ballot for voters in Los Angeles, California, on November 8, 2016. A "yes" vote would require developments of a certain size to incorporate affordable housing and encourage developers to use local workers, pay standard wages, and employ members of apprenticeship training programs and workers with real-world experience. A "no" vote would reject the initiative.

The key provisions of the "Build Better LA" Initiative are:

• All development projects that include 10 or more residential units and require changes to the General Plan or other zoning and construction rules would be required to make a percentage of the units affordable to low-income and working residents or pay a fee to fund affordable housing and enforce laws that protect renters.
• Developers of any such residential projects would have to hire contractors who:
  • are licensed according to city and state law;
  • guarantee to offer at least 30 percent of work hours to city residents, with 10 percent coming from those living within five miles of the project;
  • pay standard wages for the area; and
  • employ members of apprenticeship training programs and workers with real-world experience.
• No changes to the local plans for certain districts could be made without a guarantee that the changes would not "reduce the capacity for creation and preservation of affordable housing and access to local jobs."
• Developers would be required to make as much as 20 percent of the units in a project affordable for low-income and working renters. That number can be as high as 40 percent for homes that are for sale.
• Moreover, projects planned around public transit within a half of a mile from significant public transit stops would be encouraged through an incentive program that would apply only to projects that include affordable housing and require contractors to comply with the restrictions laid out in the second bullet point of this list.
• No tax dollars will be used.

#3: Pinellas schools in Florida

Board member Carol Cook

Pinellas County Schools:
The Pinellas County school board is under critical examination after an investigation of the board and district—titled "Failure Factories"—was published in 2015. The report described the daily strife of black students in the county, particularly in five elementary schools whose ratings changed from average to failing over a few years. The investigation tied these students' struggles to a 2007 decision the board made to effectively segregate the district's schools, and the report triggered a still-in-progress civil rights investigation by the U.S. Department of Education. The report, which won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize in Local Reporting, also showed that the board's vote appeared to be a symptom of other deep-seated problems in the district. Three of the board members who voted for the de-integration plan still sat on the board in 2016: Peggy O'Shea, Linda Lerner, and Carol Cook. These incumbents were re-elected to the board multiple times. The district's school board has experienced a 100 percent incumbency success rate in re-election bids from 1998 to 2014.

Eliseo Santana

The incumbent win streak was halted earlier this year when board incumbent Ken Peluso lost his bid for re-election to newcomer Eileen Long in the primary election on August 30, 2016. The seat of the other incumbent who filed for re-election—Carol Cook—is not safe yet, either. Although Cook was the top vote recipient in the primary election, she did not receive enough votes to win outright. She faces Eliseo Santana in the general election. Historically, voter turnout at the Pinellas school board race has been significantly higher in the general election compared to the primary.

#2: Maricopa County Sheriff in Arizona

Sheriff Joe Arpaio (R)

Maricopa County Sheriff:
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio (R) is defending his position against challenger Paul Penzone (D), and many media outlets predict it will be his most difficult re-election bid so far. Arpaio has made national headlines for his tough stance on immigration and the lawsuits filed against him and his office. Arpaio has raised over $12 million, according to his campaign finance report submitted on September 27, 2016. For comparison, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey (R) raised about $8 million for his race in 2014.

In May 2016, U.S. District Judge G. Murray Snow found Arpaio and three others to be in civil contempt for failing to follow court orders in regard to racial profiling. In August 2016, he asked the U.S. Attorney's Office to file criminal contempt charges against the four men for continued failure to follow orders and giving false statements. On October 11, 2016, federal prosecutors announced that they intended to file criminal contempt of court charges against Arpaio.

Also on the ballot in Maricopa County are county assessor, county attorney, county recorder, county treasurer, six justices of the peace, and eight constables. Additionally, several special district board seats are up for election: three for the Maricopa Integrated Health System, five for the Central Arizona Water Conservation District, and four for the Maricopa County Community College District.

#1: Detroit schools in Michigan

Mayor Mike Duggan

Detroit Public Schools Community District:
Detroit's board of education election represents a turning point in the board's composition and power. City schools were placed under the management of a state-appointed emergency manager in March 2009 due to budget deficits and declining academic performance. On July 1, 2016, a state law divided Detroit Public Schools (DPS) into two districts: DPS and the Detroit Public Schools Community District. DPS remains as a legal entity to pay down more than $400 million in debt. The Detroit Public Schools Community District manages day-to-day operations for public schools in conjunction with the state-appointed Detroit Financial Review Commission.

The 11-member board for Detroit Public Schools will be replaced by a seven-member board when new members take office in January 2017. The emergency manager's office will be eliminated after the first meeting of the board. All seven seats on the new board are on the ballot in 2016. Sixty-three candidates, including 10 of the 11 previous members of the board, filed to take on challenges that include enrollment decreases, funding issues, and relations with state government.

The restructuring bill was touted by Gov. Rick Snyder (R) as "a new day for Detroit families, with DPS free from debt and strong accountability measures for all schools in the city that promises a brighter future for all of Detroit's children." The Michigan Association of School Boards, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, and Democratic legislators from the city criticized the lack of local input into the district's reorganization. Three lawsuits were filed between July 2016 and September 2016 alleging that the legislation was unconstitutional due to concerns about its impact on local governance and student performance.

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