Statement regarding the certification of the 2024 General Election as it pertains to local election results
Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024
TEMECULA VALLEY, CA — One Temecula Valley PAC (1TVPAC) has seen the final tallies and accepts the certification of the 2024 General Election, specifically the local elections in which our community has worked so hard on over the past two years.
As a nonpartisan political action committee with a focus on good governance representation on local school boards and city councils, we have done our best to support endorsed candidates which we wholeheartedly believe will serve our communities regardless of their personal political affiliation.
We first congratulate our endorsed candidates, TVUSD School Board Trustee Area 5 incumbent Steven Schwartz for his victory over challenger Jon Cobb — and Yvonne Munoz, who has unseated MVUSD School Board Trustee Julie Vandegrift in Trustee Area 3.
1TVPAC is undoubtedly proud of the slate of candidates we supported in this election, but came up short in the totals. We thank:
TVUSD Trustee Area 1 Incumbent Allison Barclay for running a fair and clean campaign, devoid of lies and vicious personal attacks toward her opponent — and for her years of dignified service to every single member of the TVUSD community. Her informed leadership and commitment will be sorely missed on the board. Her personal accountability while serving and her compassionate humanity and commitment to students will be an even bigger void to fill.
TVUSD Trustee Area 2 candidate Gary Oddi for running an informed and thoughtful campaign, standing stalwart in the face of relentless, unwarranted attacks and attempts to undermine his campaign with lies and misinformation — including those coming from the same side of the aisle. His performance in this election only bolsters our admiration for the leader and man he has always been in this community.
TVUSD Trustee Area 4 candidate David Sola for standing up, raising his hand and choosing to run for election in the face of a tumultuous and conflicted district and an opponent who refused to accept the will of the people. Mr. Sola is a true patriot who ran for the seat with the very best of intentions and ran a clean campaign based on facts, data, and truth — contrary to the slander and lies told by his opponent. Sola can hold his head high and we know he will continue to be a leader in the community going forward for many years to come.
MVUSD Trustee Area 4 incumbent Linda Lunn for running a clean campaign utilizing her many, many years of true and faithful service to the stakeholders of MVUSD and the community as a whole. She stood up and ran a convincing campaign even while faced with culture war misinformation, lies and slander. Lunn’s vast experience, knowledge and servant leadership will truly be missed on the board.
MVUSD Trustee Area 5 candidate Deon Mario Hairston for standing up for his community and accepting the challenge of running to serve. It is just one more example of the quality human being and leader that Hairston has always exemplified. Hairston was also faced with a campaign meant to slander him with lies and misinformation and he continued to work for his spot on the board with ethics and integrity at the forefront.
City of Temecula District 2 candidate Eric Faulkner who ran one of the cleanest, most dignified campaigns to date whilst his opponent attempted anything and everything to discredit him. His work ethic on this campaign was without comparison and it stemmed from his commitment to every resident in the City of Temecula. The city is less strong and less respected regionally due to his loss in this election.
City of Temecula District 4 candidate Sue Evans for putting in the hard work in attempting to unseat her incumbent opponent. Few candidates are as vastly qualified to serve on the council as Evans, and the city will miss out benefiting from her perspective and experience.
We wish to congratulate the elected officials that were not endorsed by 1TVPAC, and but will soon serve in positions of great responsibility and significance for our communities. We hope they will help steer our school boards and city councils in the right direction, serving the best interests of every single member of our communities.
Elections are not mandates. And no single elected official to a board collective should envision their victory as anything more than an invitation to serve along with four other duly elected officials at the behest of the entire electorate — whether they voted for them or not.
"Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in your charge." – Simon Sinek
"As a leader … your principal job is to create an operating environment where others can do great things." — Richard Teerlink
1TVPAC will continue to organize and monitor our school boards and city councils, working to ensure elected officials put the best interests of their stakeholders above their personal interests and ideologies.
We will support where needed and push back where needed — and will do so respectfully and, as always, with ethically-developed arguments that benefit the whole of our communities. However …
"Elections belong to the people. It’s their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters." – Abraham Lincoln
It is time to sit back, allow the elected officials to enact the policies they promised and document their successes and failures. We will also begin preparing in the coming months for the 2026 elections.
Finally, we wish to thank each and every one who helped and supported our endorsed candidates and 1TVPAC over the past election year and know that you have our undying respect for the sacrifices you made for the future of our communities. No matter how much or how little you gave, every bit was needed and appreciated.
You have become friends, coworkers, and leaders in our communities and we look forward to continuing to fight for a better future for each and every one of us here in the cities we love to live in.
Thank you again.
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One Temecula Valley Political Action Committee was to support and foster a stable and common sense approach to governance for Southwest Riverside County. The group actively monitors local school boards and city councils throughout Southwest Riverside County encompassing the cities of Temecula and Murrieta. To learn more, volunteer, and donate, visit www.onetvpac.org.
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Paid for by the One Temecula Valley PAC (FPPC #1454922) and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
