Elections : Count of Absentee Ballots Produces 3 New Winners

The final count of absentee and damaged ballots in three separate Southeast area school board races has produced three new winners in the Nov. 7 election, according to the Los Angeles County registrar-recorder’s office.

In the race for the Cerritos Community College Board of Trustees, a count of absentee ballots and some damaged ballots that had not been tallied shows challenger Rick D. Sanchez winning by 16 votes over incumbent Ada C. Steenhoek.

Results on Nov. 7 showed Steenhoek with 4,571 votes and Sanchez with 4,505. In the latest count, Sanchez finished with 4,800 to Steenhoek’s 4,784, said Henrietta Willis, spokeswoman for the registrar-recorder’s office.

Steenhoek has asked for a recount, which is expected to begin Nov. 28.

Sanchez said he is happy but will wait for the recount results before celebrating. Steenhoek was seeking her third four-year term on the seven-member board.

The count of absentee and damaged ballots had no effect on the reelection of incumbents Mark Durant, Joseph Stits and John Moore.

In the South Whittier School District, Manuel R. Magana, who had finished fourth, collected enough absentee votes to bump Richard T. Minjares off the board.

Magana finished second with 303 votes when the absentee ballots were counted. David Hayes finished first, with 378 votes, and Tim Schneider finished third, with 375 votes. Minjares was fourth with 262 votes.

In the El Rancho Unified School District, Frank Millan replaced Dimas Benavides who was reported the winner on Nov. 7. Benavides has asked for a recount.

Two incumbents, Frank Boyce and E.A. (Pete) Ramirez kept their seats on the seven-member school board.

In the final count, Boyce received 1,690 votes, Millan 1,255 and Ramirez was third with 1,253. Benavides lost by four votes.