Yucaipa–Calimesa School Board: Starene Cruse Leads Michael Snellings by 26 Votes

YUCAIPA AND CALIMESA — November 4, 2026. A closely watched school-board race in Yucaipa–Calimesa Joint Unified School District was separated by 26 votes in the county’s midnight unofficial report. In Governing Board Area 4, Starene Cruse had 1,122 votes (50.59%), while Michael Gerard Snellings had 1,096 (49.41%). Officials reported five of nine precincts (55.56%) for this district contest.

A school district, not a mayoral election

The position is a seat on the local school district governing board, not Yucaipa City Council. Board members oversee school budgets, education policy, district leadership and major facilities decisions. The governing district serves communities in the Yucaipa–Calimesa area, but the figures shown by San Bernardino County are a county reporting snapshot; any cross-county accounting should be verified with the relevant counties before a district-wide result is described as final.

Why more counting matters

The 26-vote gap could change as the county processes outstanding mail, provisional and other eligible ballots. The registrar has not certified a winner. The county’s earlier 8 p.m. first reporting batch showed an even tighter contest, demonstrating why election-night counts require timestamps.

Source: San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters, 12 midnight report, November 4, 2026. California58 will track the same race during the canvass.

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