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At least one seat on the San Ramon Valley Unified School District’s board of education is guaranteed to change hands after this fall’s general election, with incumbent Area 1 Trustee Jesse vanZee announcing that he will not be seeking reelection.
Elected to his first term in public office in 2022, vanZee said in a press release Friday that he is set to continue with the remainder of his term through December before stepping away from the dais to spend more time with his family.
“Public service through elected office is important work, but it doesn’t have to become a permanent career,” vanZee said. “Elected officials can serve their communities well without always seeking reelection.”
Last week’s announcement came days before the candidacy filing period for Contra Costa County candidates opened Monday, with nominations open through Aug. 7.
“I remain deeply committed to the success of public education in our community and believe strongly in the value of citizen leaders stepping forward to serve,” vanZee said. “I encourage residents to stay engaged in the upcoming election and to consider running for the Board. Fresh perspectives and new energy strengthen local governance.”
The announcement marks the start of a wide-open race for the Area 1 seat representing a large swath of the northern San Ramon Valley, which is now poised to have a new representative for the second time since 2022, when longtime incumbent Ken Mintz announced that he would not seek reelection after nearly two decades in the seat.
Mintz’s retirement paved the way for a three-way race between vanZee, Michelle Petersen, and Jerome Pandell four years ago that was ultimately decided by a less than 300 vote margin in the final ballot count, with Petersen coming at a close second.
The 2022 election and the early months of vanZee’s term were marked by rampant debate over LGBTQ+ representation in the district with public recognition such as the annual Day of Silence, and library materials such as the coming-of-age graphic novel Gender Queer.
While vanZee has sought to distance himself from the most extreme of those critiques, he has nonetheless worked to address some of their underlying concerns, such as parental rights, finances, and public input on instructional material.
“During my time on the Board, I worked to ensure parents’ and students’ voices were heard, supported our outstanding educators and staff, and brought a steady, solutions-oriented approach to governance,” vanZee said. “I am especially proud of our collaborative work to close a $35.7 million budget shortfall through data-informed and innovative solutions — protecting the district’s long-term financial health while preserving strong programs for our more than 28,000 students.”
The tone and makeup of this year’s race remains to be seen, with no candidates having yet qualified for the ballot as of Tuesday, the second day of the nomination period in Contra Costa.
The Area 1 seat is one of three on the SRVUSD board that are set to be on November’s ballot, with Area 4 Trustee Susanna Ordway and Area 5 Trustee Rachel Hurd also approaching the end of their current terms this year.
“Serving on the Board has been one of the greatest privileges of my life,” vanZee said. “I am deeply grateful to the San Ramon Valley community for entrusting me with this responsibility and for the strong support of everyone who encouraged me to run and serve.”
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