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Governing Board Elections
Governing Board Elections
- Interested in School Board Service?
- 2026 Candidate Website Statements
- 2026 Candidate Filing Status
- 2026 Election Candidate Statements of Interest
- 2026 Governing Board Elections
- 2024 Governing Board Election Results
- 2022 Governing Board Election Results
Interested in School Board Service?
2026 Candidate Website Statements
MARICOPA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 20 CANDIDATES:
I'm running for the MUSD #20 Governing Board because I believe every child in Maricopa deserves a well-managed, transparent school district focused on what matters most: student success. I've called Maricopa home since April of last year, and as a single parent, I believe deeply in the power of public education. I've seen firsthand how quickly our district is growing and how important it is that our schools grow smart, not just fast.
My priorities for MUSD #20:
Academic excellence: Ensuring every student, regardless of background or ability, has access to strong instruction, updated curriculum, and the support they need to thrive.
Fiscal responsibility: Our district's budget should be spent wisely and transparently, with resources directed to classrooms first.
Managing growth: Maricopa is one of Arizona's fastest-growing communities. Our schools need thoughtful planning to keep up with enrollment without sacrificing quality or safety.
Parent and community engagement: Families deserve a seat at the table. I'm committed to open communication, accessible board meetings, and genuinely listening to parents, teachers, and staff.
Supporting teachers and staff: Great schools start with great educators. I'll advocate for competitive pay, manageable class sizes, and the resources teachers need to succeed.
As a single parent, I know firsthand what it means to rely on our public schools not just for education but also as a foundation of stability and opportunity for my family. That's a responsibility I don't take lightly, and it's why I'm committed to making sure MUSD #20 works for every family in this community. I'd be honored to earn your support and your vote.
J.O. COMBS UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 44 CANDIDATES:
Michael S. Goldstein is on the front line to improve education for Arizona’s students. He is State of Arizona Director of Proclaiming Justice to The Nations in support of its goal to Take Back America’s Children by protecting them from the rise of inaccuracy and bigotry in school curricula and textbooks, in K-12 schools and colleges across the state.
Education and Professional Credentials
Michael earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics, Political Science, and History from Michigan State University, and his law degree from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. He practiced Municipal and Education Law, Employment Law, and Energy Law for municipalities, corporations, and for 30 years as president of his own law firm. He represented students and their parents in disciplinary and other administrative proceedings at the school administrative level and before local school boards.
Michael has drafted legislation and presented testimony to the Arizona Legislature and to the Ohio General Assembly and the Tennessee General Assembly, on issues of Education, Civil rights, and Energy policy, drawing on his unique background to inform state policy.
Leadership in the Energy Sector
He served as a Senior Attorney with the Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company (CEI) where he was the first CEI attorney stationed at the Perry Nuclear Power Plant in Northeast Ohio, providing legal counsel during the Plant’s construction, navigating complex regulatory and safety compliance issues. He created bridges between CEI and its contractors, both union and non-union; municipal, county, state, and federal agencies and regulators; engineering challenges; and legal requirements.
Michael currently volunteers as Senior Legal Advisor and a Board Member of eGeneration Foundation – a nonprofit dedicated to advancing Generation IV liquid core molten salt nuclear reactors, an American technology vital to Arizona’s future, with environmental, national security, and economic benefits.
Distinguished Naval Intelligence Service
Before and alongside his legal career, Michael served 30 years in the U.S. Navy intelligence community as a linguist and cryptology officer, including nuclear submarine duty. He has a deep sense of duty, and a unique insight into the intersection of education, technology, and history.
Advocacy and Community Leadership
Michael served as President of the Northern Ohio Chapter of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO), where he led initiatives to share intelligence insights and to support those who have served, reflecting his ongoing commitment to national security education.
He is also deeply engaged in civic and professional organizations that benefit from his leadership and experience.
- Life Trustee, Beachwood, Ohio Chamber of Commerce – providing guidance to promote business and community development.
- USS Cod Submarine Memorial Committee – helping preserve the legacy of the historic WWII USS Cod (SS 224).
- Northeast Ohio Law Directors Association – participating in professional forums to support municipal law directors and public-sector attorneys.
- Veterans & Civic Speaker – Guest speaker to veterans’ groups and civic organizations on education, national security, intelligence, foreign policy, and energy.
- Published articles on education, national security, and veterans’ rights issues.
With four decades of hands-on experience in K-12 education, Brenda Rhoads is running for the J.O. Combs School Board to bring extensive professional insight and a student-first, parent-partnered approach to our district.
Brenda holds a Bachelor of Arts in Education and a Master of Arts in Counseling and Guidance, backed by an additional 60 graduate hours focused deeply on counseling and psychology. This extensive academic foundation fueled a distinguished 40-year career as a classroom educator and guidance counselor, culminating in her role as the Director of Guidance for a school district of 6,000 students.
Throughout her career, Brenda worked directly with students and parents to build strong, open lines of communication. Brenda knows that every child possesses unique talents, and her life’s work has been helping students reach their maximum potential—preparing them for maximum success in whatever career path they choose.
Brenda firmly believes that parent involvement is a vital piece of the educational puzzle. Active communication between home and school ensures accountability, support, and transparency. As a school board member, Brenda will advocate for parents to be recognized as essential members of the decision-making team when it comes to their child’s education.
"Schools succeed when parents and educators work as a team. After 40 years of helping families navigate the K-12 journey, I want to bring that collaborative spirit and deep district experience to our school board to ensure every child reaches their maximum potential."
Brenda Rhoads
2026 Candidate Filing Status
2026 Election Candidate Filing Status
See who has filed their Nonpartisan Nomination Petitions (signatures)
***WRITE-IN CANDIDATES CAN FILE THEIR NOMINATION PAPER UNTIL 5:00 PM Monday, July 20, 2026.***
WE ARE CLOSED FRIDAY, JULY 3rd for Independence Day
| CANDIDATE NAME | NUMBER OF SIGNATURES FILED | DATE FILED |
|---|---|---|
| Dena Kimble | 340 | 06/29/2026 & 07/06/2026 |
| Gilbert Cancio | 427 | 07/02/2026 & 07/06/2026 |
| Chelsea Connolly | 508 | 07/06/2026 |
| Sharon Williams | 343 | 07/06/2026 |
| CANDIDATE NAME | NUMBER OF SIGNATURES FILED | DATE FILED |
|---|---|---|
| Blanca Varela | 290 | 06/19/2026 |
| Rob Paquette | 398 | 06/26/2026 |
| CANDIDATE NAME | NUMBER OF SIGNATURES FILED | DATE FILED |
|---|---|---|
| Stephen Hayes | 415 | 07/06/2026 |
| Micah Powell | 375 | 07/06/2026 |
| Michael Packard | 378 | 06/30/2026 |
| CANDIDATE NAME | NUMBER OF SIGNATURES FILED | DATE FILED |
|---|---|---|
| Mary Duarte - SCVUHS Seat | DID NOT FILE | |
| Linda Good - CGUHS Seat | DID NOT FILE |
| CANDIDATE NAME | NUMBER OF SIGNATURES FILED | DATE FILED |
|---|---|---|
| Louie Rabago | 19 | 06/08/2026 |
| CANDIDATE NAME | NUMBER OF SIGNATURES FILED | DATE FILED |
|---|---|---|
| Keith Seaman | 92 | 07/06/2026 |
| Victoria Quintero | DID NO FILE- WRITE IN | 07/07/2026 |
| Michael Flores II | 85 | 07/01/2026 |
| CANDIDATE NAME | NUMBER OF SIGNATURES FILED | DATE FILED |
|---|---|---|
| Sonnette Cherry Federico | 20 | 06/22/2026 |
| Maggie Whatley | 21 | 06/25/2026 |
| Fansy Calvin | 22 | 06/25/2026 |
| CANDIDATE NAME | NUMBER OF SIGNATURES FILED | DATE FILED |
|---|---|---|
| Andrew Pioske | 422 | 07/06/2026 |
| Megan Weagant | 376 | 07/02/2026 & 07/06/2026 |
| CANDIDATE NAME | NUMBER OF SIGNATURES FILED | SEAT TERM RUNNING FOR | DATE FILED |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dianne Taylor | 245 |
2 |
07/01/2026 |
| Ella Wright | 206 |
2 |
07/01/2026 |
| Brenda Rhoads | 240 |
4 |
07/01/2026 |
| Jennifer Schwartz | DID NOT FILE |
4 |
|
| Michael Goldstein | 216 |
4 |
07/01/2026 |
| Melissa Valenzuela-Settle | 223 |
4 |
07/06/2026 |
| Misty Richards | DID NOT FILE |
2 |
| CANDIDATE NAME | NUMBER OF SIGNATURES FILED | SEAT TERM RUNNING FOR | DATE FILED |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earle Andrade | 19 | 4 | 06/17/2026 |
| Daniel Najera | 19 | 4 | 06/17/2026 |
| Veronica DeVries | 34 | 4 | 06/08/2026 |
| Louis Madrid | 15 | 4 | 07/06/2026 |
| CANDIDATE NAME | NUMBER OF SIGNATURES FILED | DATE FILED | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patti Coutre | 322 | 07/06/2026 | |
| Latrinda Williams | 262 | 06/30/2026 | |
| Nicolas Yendrzeski | 290 | 07/06/2026 | |
| Lisa Garcia | 311 | 07/06/2026 | |
| Loraine Conley | 270 | 07/06/2026 |
| CANDIDATE NAME | NUMBER OF SIGNATURES FILED | DATE FILED |
|---|---|---|
| Jodi Barczak | 157 | 06/29/2026 |
| Joy Reid | 101 | 07/06/2026 |
| CANDIDATE NAME | NUMBER OF SIGNATURES FILED | SEAT TERM RUNNING FOR | DATE FILED |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Tidwell | 4 | ||
| Karen Tidwell | 6 | 4 | 06/22/2026 |
| Priscilla Alderete | 3 | 4 | 07/06/2026 |
| Michelle McLaughlin | 6 | 4 | 07/06/2026 |
| CANDIDATE NAME | NUMBER OF SIGNATURES FILED |
SEAT TERM RUNNING FOR |
DATE FILED |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tino Flores | 30 |
4 |
06/12/2026 |
| Terrece Flowers | 20 |
4 |
06/15/2026 |
| Valerie Kelley | 45 |
2 |
06/17/2026 |
| Scott Warren | 32 | 4 | 07/02/2026 |
| Ashley Bravo | 50 | 4 | 07/06/2026 |
| Rikki Galka | 50 | 2 | 07/06/2026 |
| CANDIDATE NAME | NUMBER OF SIGNATURES FILED | DATE FILED |
|---|---|---|
| Luis Vargas | 30 | 06/10/2026 |
| CANDIDATE NAME | NUMBER OF SIGNATURES FILED |
SEAT TERM RUNNING FOR |
DATE FILED |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karen White | 22 | 4 | 06/24/2026 |
| CANDIDATE NAME | NUMBER OF SIGNATURES FILED | DATE FILED |
|---|---|---|
| Jerry Olveda | 40 | 07/06/2026 |
| Emilio Ysaguirre | 40 | 07/06/2026 |
| CANDIDATE NAME | NUMBER OF SIGNATURES FILED | SEAT TERM RUNNING FOR | DATE FILED |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jadee Rohner | 17 | 4 | 07/06/2026 |
| Dulcey 'Shane' Garcia | 33 | 4 | 07/06/2026 |
| Lee Ann Feenstra | 35 | 4 | 07/06/2026 |
| Constance Gabriel | DID NOT FILE | 2 | |
| Cindy McDonald | 17 | 2 | 07/06/2026 |
| CANDIDATE NAME | NUMBER OF SIGNATURES FILED | DATE FILED |
|---|---|---|
| Henry Gutierrez | 27 | 06/30/2026 |
| Monica Denogean | 33 | 06/29/2026 |
| Jessie Arroyos | 21 | 07/06/2026 |
TOLTEC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 22
NUMBER OF SIGNATURES REQUIRED: 63
OPEN SEATS: 3 four year, 1 two year
06/25/2026
2026 Election Candidate Statements of Interest
| Click Here to Look up the School District of Residence - Follow directions below |
Once you click on the link you will be directed to the Pinal County Parcel Search page. Type in the property address in the property address fields. Select the correct owner in the list that comes up in the list below the address. Under the parcel details section, click on Tax Information. Click on the dollar amount listed in the "Billed" section. The pdf of the tax bill shows you what school district you pay your taxes to, therefore, that is the school district of residence.
2026 Governing Board Elections
Information/Timeline/Forms/Deadlines
ELECTION DAY IS NOVEMBER 3, 2026
2026 School Governing Board Jurisdictional Elections Timetable
2026 Candidate Checklist & Guidelines
Candidate Nomination Petition Procedures & Challenges
Interactive School Districts Boundary Map
Voter District Boundaries Viewer
To see the Union School Districts, click on the layered paper button in the upper right and check the box that says 'Union School Districts'.
School Governing Board Qualifications
Pursuant to ARS 15-421 (C), a person is eligible to run for a school governing board seat in Arizona when they meet the following qualifications:
- Registered voter in the state of Arizona
- Resident of the school district for at least one year immediately preceding the day of election
***School governing board members cannot be an employee of the school district or be a spouse of a school district employee, including a person who directly provides certified or classified services to the school district as an employee of a third-party contractor.
2026 Nomination Paper Declaration of Qualification
Statement of Interest
According to ARS 16-311 (H), candidates must file a Statement of Interest Form with the Pinal County School Superintendent's Office before collecting nomination petition signatures. You can file your Statement of Interest at any time up to the candidate filing deadline of 07/06/2026.
Statements of Organization (Campaign Finance) - Now Filed With Elections
• Must be filed ONLY when a candidate receives contributions OR makes expenditures – in any combination including their own monies – of at least $1,500 for the 2026 General Election Cycle. (ARS 16-905 and 16-931)).
• Candidates who will NOT reach the $1,500 threshold are NOT required to file a Statement of Organization.
• If a candidate reaches the threshold, the Statement of Organization must be filed with the Pinal County Elections Department Office located at 320 W. Adamsville Rd.| Florence, AZ 85132 or emailed to the Elections Department at elections@pinal.gov.
• Candidates are no longer required to file this form before circulating petitions.
Filing Petition Signatures
The candidate filing period for the November 3, 2026 election begins Saturday, June 6, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. and closes Monday, July 6th at 5:00 p.m. However, because the first day of filing occurs on a Saturday, our office will actually begin accepting election documents on Monday, June 8, 2026. The filing location is the Pinal County School Superintendent’s Office located at 75 N. Bailey St. Florence, AZ 85132. Petitions presented before or after the established filing period CANNOT be accepted (ARS 16-311 (B)).
Candidates must file the following original documents with our office in order for their name to appear on the ballot:
- Nonpartisan Nomination Paper Declaration of Qualification 2026
- Nonpartisan Nomination Petition (view a SAMPLE of the nomination petition)
2026 Nonpartisan Petition Signature Requirements
Interactive School Districts Boundary Map
(ARS 15-422, ARS 16-321, ARS 16-322, ARS 16-314)
2 Year Term Candidates
**Candidates for Two (2) Year Terms MUST designate the term expiration date following the name of the office on the petitions prior to gathering signatures, as well as on the nomination papers (ARS 16-314 (D)).**
Write-In Candidates
A write-in candidate must file the following original document with our office NO EARLIER THAN June 7, 2026 at 8:00 AM and NO LATER THAN 5:00 PM on July 20, 2026. However, because the first day of filing occurs on a Saturday, our office will actually begin accepting election documents on Monday, July 8, 2026 and the deadline is Monday, July 20, 2026. Write in candidates are not required to file signatures. In accordance with ARS 16-645; the Write-In Candidate must receive as many votes as signatures they would have needed to get on the ballot (ARS 16-312 and 16-410 and 16-645). A certificate of election shall not be issued to a write-in candidate for precinct committeeman or a write-in candidate for a nonpartisan office unless the candidate receives a number of votes equivalent to at least the same number of signatures required by section 16-322 for nominating petitions for the same office. Write-In candidates must still file a Pinal County Committee Statement of Organization form if they raise & spend monies totaling $1,500.00 (money in/money out/raised/donated/candidate's own) WITH THE PINAL COUNTY ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT.
Write-In Candidate Nomination Paper 2026
Write-In Candidate Checklist & Guidelines
Candidate Withdrawal
School Board candidates who decide to have their name removed from the ballot must submit a notarized Statement of Withdrawal to the Pinal County School Superintendent's Office. Once a candidacy is withdrawn, if the candidate has registered a campaign committee, the committee is required to continue filing campaign finance reports until/unless the committee is terminated. Candidates who withdraw their name from the ballot cannot run as a write-in candidate for the same office.
Candidate Withdrawal Form 2026
Candidate 10-Day Challenge Period
Immediately following the candidate filing period, candidate's filing for candidacy (qualifications, nomination papers, petitions, etc.) can be challenged with the Pinal County Superior Court. The 10-day (business days) challenge period for the 2026 School Governing Board Elections is July 7, 2026 to 5:00 PM on July 20, 2026. Please click HERE for more details.
Public Records Records Request
2026_Candidate_Nomination_Petition_Procedures_and_Challenges
(ARS 16-351, ARS 16-351.01, ARS 16-311, ARS 16-312, ARS 16-341)
Cancelation of School Governing Board Election
If only one or no candidate files qualified nomination papers for a school district governing board member position by 5:00 PM on July 21, 2026, our office will recommend cancelation of the election to the Pinal County Board of Supervisors (BOS).
Under these circumstances, the candidate who has filed in a timely and appropriate manner may be appointed as if elected by the BOS to fill the school district’s governing board position (ARS 15-424 (D)). If no candidate files and the BOS opts to cancel the election, the vacancy shall be filled through the appointment process conducted by the County School Superintendent (ARS 15-424 (D) and 15-302).
Candidate Website Statements - This is Optional
Pursuant to ARS 15-421 (F), each candidate whose name has been certified to appear on the election ballot/write-in list may submit the following:
1. A recent photograph.
2. A typewritten or electronic statement, not to exceed 500 words.
3. A disclosure of any relationships by affinity, by consanguinity or by law to the third degree that exist between the candidate and any current governing board members or other candidates for election to the same governing board.
Certified Candidates may begin submitting the information described above NO EARLIER THAN Tuesday, July 7, 2026 and NO LATER THAN Thursday, September 10, 2026.
A signed hard copy of the candidate's statement can be delivered to our office or may be sent via email to nobrien@pinalcso.org from the candidate's email address on file with the Pinal County School Superintendent's Office.
Political Sign Statutes and Guidelines
State Political Sign Ordinance
Pinal County Political Sign Information
Call to Election Filed
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Casa Grande Elementary School District Stanfield Elementary School District Santa Cruz Valley Union High School District