The new board will face hard choices. Richmondside reports that the district laid off staff and cut programs last year. In June, voters rejected Measure G, a $920 million facilities bond. Chancellor Mojdeh Mehdizadeh leaves at the end of this year, and the new board will hire her permanent successor. In Ward 4, incumbent Andy Li is unopposed.

Ward 1: Richmond, San Pablo and parts of West County

Ward 1 covers Contra Costa College in San Pablo, all of Richmond and parts of Pinole, Hercules and El Sobrante. John Marquez, who held the seat for 14 years, is not running.

  • Raquel Donoso lives in Richmond and leads the Equity in Education program at the Skyline Foundation. She was formerly CEO of the Latino Community Foundation. She holds a master’s in public health from UCLA and a doctorate in education from UC Davis. She told Richmondside she would push for big goals like student housing.
  • Cameron Sasai is on the Pinole City Council and served as mayor from December 2024 to December 2025. He is not seeking reelection to the council. He attended Contra Costa College from 2018 to 2020 and says that gives him a current student’s perspective. He argues the board needs someone with governance experience.

Ward 3: Barrett vs. Tanovitz

  • Becca Barrett is the incumbent. In her official ballot statement she says the district expanded free tuition to cover the first two years of college and added no-cost digital textbooks, student housing help and campus childcare. She is a graduate of Concord High, DVC and UC and a former California Department of Education leader. She lists endorsements from County Superintendent Lynn Mackey and Rep. Mark DeSaulnier.
  • Allyse Tanovitz is listed on the ballot as Principal/Teacher/Mother. We could not find a published platform from her campaign.

Voters in each ward choose one trustee. For logistics, see our Contra Costa voting guide.

How to vote

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls and vote centers close at 8 p.m., and mailed ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and arrive within seven days. You can check your registration and ballot status at sos.ca.gov/elections. California lets you register and vote the same day at a vote center. For more local races and measures, see our 2026 Bay Area election hub.