Elections: A Look at the Final Ballots for School Board, City Council

It's official. Three candidates will be vying for two positions on the Pleasanton Unified School District's Board of Trustees.

The deadline to file for candidacy was extended until Wednesday after two incumbents announced that they would not run again in November. ­

Pat Kernan, who was first appointed to the board in 1997 and is the longest serving trustee, announced last week that he would not run for a fourth term.

"It was a really tough decision," Kernan said. "I think it's a time for a change."

Jim Ott, the other trustee up for re-election, also announced in March that he would not be running again.

Pleasanton voters will chose between Joan Laursen, Sandy Piderit and Jeff Bowser.

Joan Laursen was the first to announce her candidacy earlier this year.  Laursen was the Parent Teacher Association Council president. She has also been a member of school site councils for several years and has a background in the banking industry. Running for public office for the first time, Laursen said her qualifications and background may help the district through its budget woes.

"We really don't have the same luxury of talking about new programs," said Laursen. "That being said, that doesn't mean there aren't opportunities, there are ways to change the way you do things to better serve our students."

More information on Laursen and events she's hosting can be found on her website.

Jeff Bowser, who ran for a spot on the board two years ago, will make another bid this year. Bowser has a background in the telecommunications industry. He taught at Village High School and was an assistant principal at Amador High School. Information on Bowser can be found here.

Sandy Piderit is an assistant associate professor at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey and holds a doctorate in business administration. She moved to Pleasanton in 2008 and served on the site council at Alisal Elementary School. Piderit kicks off her campaign with an ice cream social on Aug. 27. More information can be found on her website. 

Myla Grasso, spokesperson for the district, has budgeted $29,000 for this year's election but is awaiting confirmation about expected costs from the Alameda County Registrar of Voters.

City Elections

Three-term mayor Jennifer Hosterman is being challenged for her seat by Councilmember Cindy McGovern.

Hosterman was first elected to the city council in 2002. She became mayor in 2004 and was re-elected in 2006 and 2008.

McGovern is a former Pleasanton school board member and has been on the council for six years. McGovern said she filed for candidacy because members of the community asked her to run.

"I did want to offer a choice for the community," she said.

Incumbents Jerry Thorne and Cheryl Cook-Kallio both have kicked off campaign efforts. Thorne was first elected 2005 in a special election and again in 2006. Cheryl Cook-Kallio was first elected in 2006.

Challengers for the city council race include Karla Brown and Fred Watson.

Karla Brown is a familiar face in local politics. She was co-chair of the Save the Pleasanton Hills campaign, which successfully rallied against a 51-home development project in the Oak Grove property. Brown is a realtor and broker associate.

Brown said her focus is on smart growth and finding ways to lower vacancy rates in downtown and the city's business parks.

Fred Watson is the second challenger in the city council contest. The manager of Volunteer Services of Open Heart Kitchen, Watson is a former Fremont police officer and worked in the telecommunications industry. Watson is affiliated with the Pleasanton Tea Party and is entering the race a relative newcomer in local politics.

Watson said his candidacy is about "people, about the community and about being involved."