League of Women Voters Holding SMCISD Candidate Debate Tonight

San Marcos Area League of Women Voters will sponsor a Candidates Debate for the upcoming San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District Board of Trustees election.  The Candidates Debate will be Monday, April 27, at 7:00 p.m. at the San Marcos Activity Center

 

A total of nine candidates are running for three positions on the SMCISD Board.   “This is a phenomenal turnout of candidates for an election that often garners little opposition,” pointed out Jeannie Lewis, Candidates Debate Coordinator for the League.   Lewis continued, “In light of the heightened interest, the League decided it was important to sponsor a Candidates Debate to help voters get to know the candidates.”

 

There are seven candidates vying for two At-Large positions on the SMCISD School Board — Jesse Ponce,Jr.; Mike Occhialini; Toby Hooper; Adam Gonzalez; Sophia Downing; John W. McGlothlin; and Anne Halsey.  Citizens can vote for two, or one, or none.  All registered voters in the SMCISD District are eligible to vote in this race.  The top two vote-getters will win the two open positions.

 

The second School Board race is to fill the seat of an unexpired term to represent SMCISD District 1.  Only District 1 registered voters can vote in this race.  Citizens can check their Voter Registration Card to see which District they are in.  This was a seat won by Naomi Narvaiz in the last School Board Election, which she resigned shortly thereafter.  Her opponent in the race, Danny M. Gonzales, was appointed to fill the position until the next election.  

 

Voters in District 1 will choose between Danny M. Gonzales and Juan Miguel Arredondo.

 

“These races are hotly contested and should make for a very interesting Candidates Debate,” Lewis added.  

 

The San Marcos Area League of Women Voters is a non-partisan organization open to both men and women, and is dedicated to voter awareness and education.  The League believes in the representative form of government and individual liberties established in the Constitution of the United States.  A guiding principle of the League is that “Democratic government depends upon the informed and active participation of its citizens and requires that governmental bodies protect the citizen’s right to know by giving adequate notice of proposed actions, holding open meetings and making public records accessible.”

 

Early voting begins on Monday, April 27.  The Election is on Saturday, May 7.  See the League’s Voters Guide for the location of local polling places, which may be differ from past elections.

 

For more information contact Jeannie Lewis at jeannie@centurytel.net or (512) 353-2872 .

 

Open to men and women, the League’s guiding principles focus on belief in the representative form of government and individual liberties established in the Constitution of the United States.  Another guiding principle of the non-partisan organization is that “Democratic government depends upon the informed and active participation of its citizens and requires that governmental bodies protect the citizen’s right to know by giving adequate notice of proposed actions, holding open meetings and making public records accessible.”