Shounak Dharap, a 28-year-old attorney and Palo Alto Unified School District graduate, appears to have won the second open seat on the Board of Education with a lead of more than 1,000 votes, though he and contender Stacey Ashlund have yet to call the race.
Dharap and Ashlund, a longtime special-education advocate and district parent, were neck and neck in the vote counts for days, prompting speculation of a recount, until early this week, when Dharap steadily pulled ahead.
According to the latest results update on Thursday evening, with 90 percent of ballots counted, Dharap had 11,887 votes, or 23.4 percent of votes, compared to Ashlund's 10,727 votes (21.12 percent).
Parent Kathy Jordan was 406 votes behind Ashlund with 20.32 percent of the vote, or 10,321 votes, as of Thursday evening.
Despite the widening gap between Dharap and Ashlund, both have said that they're waiting for the final vote tally.
"I think it's important right now, especially with so many high-profile races around the country coming down to the last vote, to stand behind the process in full support of counting every vote," Dharap said.
Dharap has described himself as the "underdog" in the school board race -- a younger candidate with no children or yearslong advocacy record. A contentious debate over reporting weighted grade point averages prompted Dharap, who graduated from Gunn High School in 2008, to get more involved in district issues last year. He ran on commitments to transparency, legal compliance and student well-being.
Incumbent Ken Dauber, whose early, comfortable lead secured him re-election early on election night, has now won 13,861 votes, or 27.29 percent of the vote.
The Nov. 6 midterm election saw huge voter turnout: 65.43 percent, according to the Registrar of Voters.
Based on estimated voter turnout and percent still left to count, as of Thursday there are still about 3,300 Palo Alto ballots outstanding.
The Registrar is posting updated election results daily on its website.
• Weekly journalists discuss the election results on an episode of Behind the Headlines. Watch the show on YouTube or listen to the podcast version, available through Apple or Google Play.
Comments
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Nov 11, 2018 at 9:22 pm
on Nov 11, 2018 at 9:22 pm
Jordan is pretty close considering the smear campaign against her, which is a shame the difficult issues she was willing to stick her neck out over. I've noticed that people who are the most selfless tend to get the most flak in this district. The fact that things are so close across the board I think is an indication of a good field of candidates. Alex Scharff even did well -- well-spoken in debates, I hope he volunteers so the community can hear more from him on school issues before the next election, should he choose to run again.
Given how close these candidates are, and how clear the community was about term limits, I sure wish Caswell would gracefully step aside and let someone new serve.
Community Center
on Nov 11, 2018 at 10:56 pm
on Nov 11, 2018 at 10:56 pm
An ad that is truthful but casts a candidate in a bad light is negative, not a smear. Jordan wasn't smeared, she had the truth told about her.
Barron Park
on Nov 11, 2018 at 11:03 pm
on Nov 11, 2018 at 11:03 pm
To the poster immediately above, wasn't Measure Z binding on establishing term limits for Board of Education members? Measure Z passed easily on Election Day so I wonder why you say Melissa Baten-Caswell would need to step aside?
She is termed-out now, since she is already serving out her 3rd term, and will need to leave the Board in 2 years. I had questioned why she wanted to serve 3 terms anyway, even BEFORE Measure Z passed.
Barron Park
on Nov 12, 2018 at 12:31 am
on Nov 12, 2018 at 12:31 am
By the way - It's Alex Scharf (one "f", no relation to Greg Scharff). That was one of the FAQ - are you related? He got over 7% in the election (2000 votes) and only spent $1000 on the campaign (not including the voter guide statement).
Adobe-Meadow
on Nov 12, 2018 at 6:58 am
on Nov 12, 2018 at 6:58 am
@Not a smear --- the only truth that was told in that ad was that students who say their publication is student run got upset when they were asked to retract inaccurate statements they'd published ---- about a sexual assault of one of their fellow students ---
Community Center
on Nov 12, 2018 at 7:41 am
on Nov 12, 2018 at 7:41 am
Perhaps "smear" can say what was inaccurate in the ad? Otherwise this is just spin.
By the way the student in question had left Paly months before the Campanile wrote anything.
Registered user
Crescent Park
on Nov 12, 2018 at 8:12 am
Registered user
on Nov 12, 2018 at 8:12 am
QUOTE: I've noticed that people who are the most selfless tend to get the most flak in this district.
Is this indicative of a 'don't rock the boat' PA voter & PAUSD mentality?
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Nov 12, 2018 at 8:22 am
on Nov 12, 2018 at 8:22 am
What I find hard to understand is that some results can come in within an hour or so of the polls closing. Those votes are counted so quickly it is amazing. It seems that the other votes are counted ridiculously slowly. How can some be counted quickly while others take so long.
Adobe-Meadow
on Nov 12, 2018 at 8:39 am
on Nov 12, 2018 at 8:39 am
@not a smear ---
the ad simply talked about how the students were upset when editors were asked to retract/correct inaccurate statements published ---- statements about a 14 year old fellow student who had reported sexual assault, but the publication inaccurately portrayed the incident as "consensual."
Why is it relevant if the 14 year old student had moved away when publishing inaccurate statements about the incident she was involved with? If someone is no longer there it's fair game to publish inaccurate and damaging information about them?
Community Center
on Nov 12, 2018 at 9:44 am
on Nov 12, 2018 at 9:44 am
"the ad simply talked about how the students were upset when editors were asked to retract/correct inaccurate statements published"
Not sure why you distort it so? The ad quoted the students saying they felt "threatened" and "harassed" by the hostile and repeated (15+ emails, 5+ texts, at times more than daily) messages by Jordan; how Jordan refused to meet if a reporter brought an adult adviser with her to a meeting; and how the students felt her behavior was "unacceptable" and made Jordan "unfit for school board."
If Jordan and her supporters are proud of what she did, then own it. But don't say students were "upset" when "asked to correct" - it was her methods and tone, not that she had a different view.
Downtown North
on Nov 12, 2018 at 9:51 am
on Nov 12, 2018 at 9:51 am
Shounak Dharap said:
"The margin between me and Stacey remains razor thin — under 0.25 percent — shows that this community is passionate about our shared commitment towards supporting every student."
Stacey Ashlund said:
"Ensuring every single vote is counted is what the democratic process is all about."
----------
Thank you Mr. Dharap and Ms. Ashlund for your respectful treatment of each other and the democratic process. This is most refreshing as we witness the disgraceful behavior of high-profile candidates in other states facing close election results.
Community Center
on Nov 12, 2018 at 10:25 am
on Nov 12, 2018 at 10:25 am
Thanks "come on" that's what I meant by spin. I mentioned the fact that the student had left because Jordan seemed to want to represent herself as defending a current student. It makes her behavior wierder once you realize that the student was gone yet Jordan seemed extremely focused to put it mildly.
Professorville
on Nov 12, 2018 at 10:43 am
on Nov 12, 2018 at 10:43 am
So, the District Attorney Office refused to file charges finding the episode consensual, but Kathy Jordan knows better? And she demands that the PALY paper states it her and no other way.
This is a joke. I wonder whether those who support her - they have no time to follow the news and facts or they just have an agenda?
Midtown
on Nov 12, 2018 at 11:46 am
on Nov 12, 2018 at 11:46 am
"Despite the widening gap between her and Ashlund, Jordan continued to emphasize that her campaign resulted in a "significant vote for change" in this election."
Coming in fourth, and now almost 2,000 votes behind the incumbent, how plausible is this? Maybe another explanation given Jordan's spending double what everyone else did is that her campaign resulted in a significant vote for name recognition.
Adobe-Meadow
on Nov 12, 2018 at 1:50 pm
on Nov 12, 2018 at 1:50 pm
@not a smear, etc
Wondering how many times and places a 14 year old student has to tell people she did not consent --- to the Paly counselors, to the Paly staff, to the police, to KTVU, to the Mercury News isn't enough?.
Jordan said she wouldn't meet with the compromised teacher advisor. Public records show her withholding information from students and discussing messaging strategy with those who didn't follow laws in response to the incident.
The meaning of smear is spreading false accusations and slander ----
Community Center
on Nov 12, 2018 at 2:04 pm
on Nov 12, 2018 at 2:04 pm
@Smear
The concerns with Jordan’s conduct were not focused on the issue of whether the Campanile student journalists were correct in their claim that the act was consensual or not. As has been stated repeatedly, the main concern is Jordan’s very inappropriate conduct with those students.
Additionally, there is the issue of her inability or unwillingness to now recognize what is appropriate. Like you, she has continued to dig in her heels and claim that the issue is primarily about reporting accuracy. Her boundless aggression and continued extreme self certainty may or may not be effective for an advocate, but they are not traits that are appropriate for an elected official who must govern effectively.
Midtown
on Nov 12, 2018 at 3:22 pm
on Nov 12, 2018 at 3:22 pm
@Smear, I'm curious abut what you mean by your last sentence. "The meaning of smear is spreading false accusations and slander ----." Are you saying that there were false accusations and slander directed to Jordan? The rest of your post is really an argument that Jordan was right to engage in the behavior she's being criticized for not an argument that the behavior was described incorrectly.
Anyways Jordan looks like she's several hundred votes behind and getting further behind so she's not likely to get to second place. So none of this will turn out to matter much.
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Nov 12, 2018 at 3:33 pm
on Nov 12, 2018 at 3:33 pm
Antagonism, the personality trait that is tearing America (and the world) apart: Web Link
I'm not saying-- I have no idea what school board candidates test scores might be and I'm not a psychologist either- that any candidate is high in the personality trait "antagonism". However, I can't help noticing that thing that some people seem to find -attractive-, as a candidate is described, fits the personality trait "antagonism". It also seems to be the trait that others find inappropriate for being a school board member.
It could be, couldn't it, that -the exact same trait- that would be helpful in adding momentum for cleaning house on Churchill Ave is also not appropriate for a school board member?
Folks might want to read the article. It has implications for politics at every level.
Midtown
on Nov 12, 2018 at 3:45 pm
on Nov 12, 2018 at 3:45 pm
@Anon, why do you think "cleaning house" at the district office is needed? I mean, there's a new superintendent, HR/deputy superintendent, CFO, special ed director, elementary director, high school principals, etc. in the last 2-3 years. Not arguing just curious.
Adobe-Meadow
on Nov 12, 2018 at 4:50 pm
on Nov 12, 2018 at 4:50 pm
@Parent -
asking for a retraction of something inaccurate, damaging and misleading about a 14 year old student who reported she was sexually assaulted ---- which was published numerous times, delivered to every Paly doorstep numerous times, and has been online for 18 months is completely appropriate. Retractions are a part of journalism.