With high emotion and hopes from the public on election day, City College Board of Trustees candidates await the unofficial poll results on Tuesday, Nov. 8.
Charlotte Gullap-Moore representing area one, Carpinteria and Montecito, won the vote by 51.57%, while opponent Debi Stoker fell behind with 38.21%.
Marsha Croninger, the current representative of area five, Mission Canyon and Santa Barbara, sweeps the race with 80.25% votes in comparison to Sharon Salvador-Jetgottka with 19.17%. as of 1 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 9.
At Timbers Roadhouse, Gullap-Moore stood just inside the doors and greeted everyone as they walked into the small enclave of light and warmth.
“I met Charlotte last year on another campaign– every campaign has an MVP and she was it,” political consultant Wade Cowper said. “She just had so much energy.”
Gullap-Moore will be looking to prioritize a reinvestment in campus infrastructure as she begins her first term as a board of trustees member.
“Our buildings themselves need to align with the excellence of the institution itself,” the candidate said while explaining that some buildings do not align with earthquake safety regulations.
At the republican election party held at Anchor Rose, supporters shouted “Stoker!” from the moment she and her husband walked in. Stoker kept her audience engaged with captivating speeches and energy that filled the room with high hopes of victory for her future as a trustee member.
“I cannot tell you what an amazing person Debi Stoker is,” Rochelle Mirabello, a friend of Stoker said. “She is one of the best people I know.”
Stoker’s goal was to lift vaccine mandates to uphold an accessible and equitable campus for all students. She explained that she hoped to serve the student population heavily affected by the mandate contributing to decreased enrollment.
With contrasting views from her opponent Gullap-Moore, Stoker explains that regardless of the end results, she wants what is best for City College.
“I’m sure she’s wonderful, and I think she’s stellar at her job,” Stoker said. “I wish her well. If she wins, I hope she takes the students and encompasses and embraces their needs, and not the needs of the teachers.”
City College Board of Trustee incumbent Marsha Croninger stayed at home for the night while votes rolled in.
Croninger has prioritized a transparent and sustainable budget to properly fund programs for students.
“We’re in the process of hiring a new superintendent president which is extremely important for the college,” Croninger said. She is also working closely with a budget work group and trustee, student and faculty representatives to put out a model for a budget that is sustainable long term.
Croninger feels the confidence and encouragement from voters within the community as she reruns for her current position on the board.
“I’ve had great support and I’ve enjoyed talking to voters in my area,” the current trustee said. “There’s always something I have to learn when I get out and meet the people that live in our community, and learn about college from their point of view.”
As more people gathered at Anchor Rose on the harbor, Sharon Salvador-Jetgottka stood alongside her husband as banter floated around the beachside restaurant. Salvador-Jetgottka was approached by a number of people who advocated for her credibility as a trustee.
“A lot of kids don’t have parental support so imagine them trying to do this process by themselves, they might just give up,” the mother of two said. “We’re not giving up, we’re going to keep fighting, fighting for our kids, our community and education.”
As her campaign came to a close, she reflected on her experience and mentioned what she would have done differently.
“I wish I was more strategic. I wish I knew months ahead of time, maybe in the beginning of the year, that I was going to run,” said Salvador-Jetgottka. “I wish I would’ve known so I could have had a good support system, team, treasurer, all of that.”
The Board of Trustees will welcome the new trustees in January 2023.
Sunny Silverstein and Hunter Clark also contributed to this article.
Correction: Nov. 9
An earlier version of this story had a different lead sentence that got changed. The Channels regrets the error.
