Temecula Valley USD Races: Latest Results

TEMECULA, CA — The polls have closed, and ballots are being counted for four seats on the Temecula Valley Unified School District governing board.

As of Wednesday, shortly before 5 p.m., results for the hotly contested four TVUSD seats were trickling in.

Though the Registrar of Voters has yet to finalize the results, the latest count shows Dr. Joseph Komrosky leading the TVUSD Governing Board TA 4 race against David Sola; Emil Roger Barham was leading over Gary Oddi and Angela Talarzyk in TA 2; Melinda Anderson was leading over Alison Barclay in TA 1; and Steven Schwartz was leading over Jon Cobb in TA 5.

Keep up with the ballot counting in Riverside County — and the TVUSD — with election results for all races across Riverside County: Last updated, Nov. 6, shortly before 5 p.m.:

What does it mean when the results above indicate "100% of precincts reported?": Here's How Election Results Are Being Released In Riverside County

Much is at stake in the TVUSD. A Christian conservative political action committee backed two board candidates in the hope of resetting a controversial agenda. The Inland Empire Family PAC put forward candidates Jon Cobb in Trustee Area 5 and the familiar face of Dr. Joseph Komrosky in TA 4.

Komrosky previously served on the TVUSD board representing TA 4 after being elected to the seat in November 2022. He was appointed board president by his like-minded colleagues Danny Gonzalez and Jennifer Wiersma, who were also elected to the board in 2022. The three trustees were backed by the Inland Empire Family PAC. Pastor Tim Thompson of 412 Church Temecula Valley has been the PAC's spokesperson.

However, ongoing concerns over the trio's controversial decisions prompted a June 4 Special Recall Election that targeted Komrosky.

Critics, including national organizations, blasted Komrosky, Gonzalez and Wiersma over their critical race theory ban; their controversial critical race theory "panel" that many TVUSD teachers dubbed "indoctrination camp"; their censoring of instruction about California's gay rights movement; their attempted defiance of state education code; their firing of the district superintendent; the hiring of their team of attorneys at taxpayers' expense to defend against ongoing lawsuits over their actions; their ban on pride and other flags; and their mandate that educators report to parents about transgender students.

Ultimately, TA 4 voters gave Komrosky the boot and the seat has remained open. Gonzalez had already resigned his TA 2 seat one year into his four-year term; the vacancy has continued.

Wiersma's TA 3 seat is not up for reelection until 2026. She has remained on the dais as the sole far-right voice. With Cobb and Komrosky on the ballot, the Inland Empire Family PAC is attempting to reclaim a majority on the TVUSD governing board.

The PAC's website continues to make statements that align with politicians who support Christian Nationalism. For example, the site claims that "public schools across the nation have become a place of indoctrination into a woke ideology. ... Conservative school board members who hold to a Judeo-Christian set of principles is this nation’s ticket back to American academic superiority on the world scene."

This year's races for the TVUSD board are well-watched. In TA 4, Komrosky faced David Sola. Despite being recalled, Komrosky successfully filed paperwork to run in the November election.
In TA 5, Cobb vied against incumbent Steven Schwartz.

Schwartz, along with Trustee Area 1's Allison Barclay, frequently criticized Gonzalez, Komrosky and Wiersma for their policies. Barclay was up for reelection and faced off against Melinda Anderson.

Also running in the TVUSD board races were three candidates looking to fill the TA 2 seat vacated by Gonzalez. Emil Roger Barham, Gary Oddi and Angela Talarzyk vyied for the open spot.

In addition to the TVUSD races, the Inland Empire Family PAC attempted to influence other school districts across the IE. The PAC backed candidates in the Redlands Unified School District and the Riverside Unified School District.