Incumbent Misty Navarro, left, and challenger Mads Realmuto. (Amaya Edwards — Santa Cruz Local/CatchLight Local file)

APTOS >> Mads Realmuto has pulled into a razor-thin lead in the race for Area 7 of the Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees. In the latest round of vote counts dropped at 6 p.m., Realmuto had 27 more votes than incumbent Misty Navarro.

If results hold or the gap between them widens, Realmuto could unseat Navarro and clinch the win. 

“I think anytime you’re running against an incumbent, it’s an uphill battle, especially someone who’s got a lot of support from individuals in the community,” Realmuto said Wednesday morning. 

Navarro’s early lead Tuesday night slowly diminished as more votes were counted through Thursday afternoon.

Realmuto, a political newcomer, shared that the small number of votes separating him from Navarro reminded him of how important it is to keep the focus on the district’s students and to make sure different parts of the community are heard. 

“I think for me the biggest difference between us was how we wanted to approach the actual board,” Realmuto said. “I think it’s a good lesson learned in terms of the mixed feelings in our community about how to address some of the problems on the school board.”

Navarro, a PVUSD parent and emergency medicine physician, took her seat as Area 7 trustee in October 2024, when she was appointed following the resignation of former trustee Jennifer Holm. During her time, the district has gone through two significant layoffs, potential school closures and consolidation and declining student enrollment. According to her campaign website, as a board member Navarro brought literacy training to PVUSD and worked to structure math curriculum districtwide. 

“I’m feeling really confident, it’s a close race and there’s still a lot of votes to count,” Navarro said Tuesday night. “The thing I’m most happy about is that people in our community are finally paying attention to our schools because it’s such a close race.”

Realmuto said that he was especially motivated to run after the district implemented district-wide layoffs this year, including 100 full-time special education positions. His daughter, Cora, is a special-needs student at Rio Del Mar Elementary School.

In September, Santa Cruz Local interviewed Realmuto about what he were to do if elected to the board. Navarro declined to participate. Realmuto shared his three biggest areas of focus were to help special education, create an effective board and support the district’s teachers and students.  

“What we need right now in the school board is people who can work with people that they disagree with, who can constructively disagree and have constructive conversations that find a way forward,” he said in September.

The board’s responsibility is to make and set budgets, policies and provide leadership and oversight for the district’s schools. 

Area 7 includes the schools Rio del Mar Elementary, Renaissance High and Pajaro Valley High. Voters in Rio del Mar, La Selva Beach and Pajaro Dunes decide this race. 

The next set of votes are scheduled to drop Friday at 4 p.m. This story will be updated as votes are tallied. Final election results must be certified by Dec. 3. 

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Questions or comments? Email [email protected]. Santa Cruz Local is supported by members, major donors, sponsors and grants for the general support of our newsroom. Our news judgments are made independently and not on the basis of donor support. Learn more about Santa Cruz Local and how we are funded.