Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools Susan Salcido was re-elected to her position Tuesday night with 64% of the vote.
Salcido got an early lead over opponent Christy Lozano with vote-by-mail ballots counted and kept it after precinct results were tabulated and reported by the County Elections Office.
“I feel super-grateful to the people of Santa Barbara County,” Salcido said. “I am elated. I am so excited to serve another term as county superintendent of schools. I am eager to get back to the work of serving our students.”
Lozano did not respond to Noozhawk’s request for comment.
Salcido held her election night party at The Chase restaurant in downtown State Street. Among the supporters in attendance were Second District Santa Barbara County Supervisor Gregg Hart, Santa Barbara City Councilman Oscar Gutierrez, Santa Barbara Unified School Board member Rose Munoz and Darcel Elliott, chair of the Santa Barbara County Democratic Party.
Salcido has been Superintendent of Schools since 2017 and previously worked as the office’s deputy superintendent. Before working in the County Education Office, she was a principal, assistant principal, and English teacher at Santa Barbara-area schools.
Lozano is a physical education teacher who gained attention on YouTube with a video on “hidden curriculum” in the Santa Barbara Unified School District that racked up 14,000 views.
Lozano’s viral video and a subsequent appearance on FOX News propelled Lozano’s candidacy which is a conservative, faith-based effort based on the idea of returning focus to math, English and career technical skills.
Salcido, a former classroom teacher and principal, is politically progressive and has decades of local education and education administration experience. She is backed by the Santa Barbara County Democratic Party and several high-ranking elected officials, including Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse, Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Santa Barbara, and State Senator Monique Limón, D-Santa Barbara.
Lozano’s candidacy was challenged in a Superior Court lawsuit related to her administrative education experience.
She and her attorney argued that her certificate of eligibility for an administrative services credential qualifies her to run and, if elected, serve in the position.
A judge denied the May petition to remove Lozano from the ballot, saying the state statutes were not clear on the issue.
Salcido commented on the tenor of the campaign.
“The best part of this campaign was that it illuminated public education and brought it to the forefront, so that we can refocus on what public education means for our democracy, for our people,” Salcido said. “Of all the things that occured, that is the best that could have happened.”
— Noozhawk staff writer Joshua Molina can be reached at jmolina@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
