Ventura County primary election results

Oxnard Trustee Leads Stunning Upset in County Schools Race

Oxnard Union High School District board president Karen Sher has delivered a stunning defeat to incumbent Ventura County Superintendent of Schools César Morales, according to preliminary election results released early Wednesday morning.

With 39.47% of votes, Sher finished first among three candidates seeking to oversee education for all 19 school districts and 12 charter schools across the county. Former La Reina High School principal Maggie Marschner placed second with 33.57%, while Morales — who has held the office since 2021 — trailed badly with just 26.96%.

If the margins hold as final votes are counted, Sher and Marschner will face off in November's general election, potentially ending Morales's tenure amid mounting controversy over his handling of public funds.

Campaign Built on Promise to Clean House

Sher's campaign centered on ending alleged misuse of funds at the Ventura County Office of Education, where Morales recently admitted to taking an unauthorized $15,750 bonus in 2024. The longtime educator from Oxnard has served on the OUHSD board since 2014 and works as the California Department of Education's Director of Teacher Recruitment.

"The appointed incumbent has admitted to siphoning more than $15,000 in public funds," Sher stated on her campaign website. "When the Superintendent misuses taxpayer dollars, it betrays our students."

EdSource reported that Morales has since paid back the bonus but faces ongoing scrutiny over additional benefits he approved for top staff, including lifetime health benefits for five deputies that required board approval under state law.

Financial Scandal Rocks Education Office

The controversy erupted in May when Morales admitted to taking the unauthorized payment, which stemmed from a 5% employee bonus program based on budget surplus funds. Under California Education Code, any changes to a superintendent's compensation must be approved by the county board in a public vote.

The Ventura County Board of Education voted unanimously to conduct a full forensic audit and investigation into Morales's actions. Board member Michael Teasdale, who had originally endorsed Morales for reelection, withdrew his support calling the superintendent's actions "shocking and deeply disappointing."

The scandal expanded when it was revealed that Morales had also granted lifetime health benefits to five top deputies in 2023 without required board approval. The county had stopped offering such benefits in 1997 due to cost concerns.

Local Oxnard Official Cruises to Victory

In other races affecting Oxnard voters, incumbent County Clerk-Recorder Michelle Ascension easily defeated challenger Paul Harold Johnson with 70.98% of the vote, avoiding a November runoff.

"I'm grateful that the community saw how my team and I have worked and gave us another four years to serve them," Ascension told Vida Newspaper on Wednesday, specifically thanking "my home town of Oxnard."

Ascension, who made history as the first woman and person of color elected to the position in Ventura County's 150-year history, has served in various public roles including as Oxnard's elected City Clerk.

What's Next for County Education

With thousands of ballots still being processed, the California Secretary of State will certify final results by July 10, 2026. The next update to Ventura County vote totals is scheduled for Thursday at 3 p.m.

Sher's strong showing represents a significant rebuke to Morales's leadership of the education office that serves students throughout Oxnard, Camarillo, Ventura, Fillmore, and other communities across the 805 region. If elected in November, she would bring three decades of classroom teaching experience and current state-level policy work to the role.