Luján Wins Santa Barbara Community College Board Seat

Dominique Luján earned 75.2 percent of the vote for Trustee Area 5, while Andrea Varon led for Trustee Area 7.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Administration

Luján Wins Santa Barbara Community College Board Seat

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Dominique Luján won a seat on the Santa Barbara Community College Board of Trustees with 75.2 percent of the vote, and Andrea Varon was leading for a seat in Trustee Area 7 with 48.7 percent. Luján will replace four-term trustee Marsha Croninger on the board.

Why it matters

The results fill seats on the board that oversees the district serving Santa Barbara residents across the region. Both leading candidates were endorsed by the Santa Barbara County Democratic Party, the SBCC chapter of the California School Employees Association, and The Channels.

Luján's 75.2 percent share of the vote led the field, while Varon held 48.7 percent against Oscar Zavala at 29.6 percent and Heather McGinnis at 21.4 percent. No candidate in the five-person race spent more than $5,000, and the preliminary count was not final at the time of reporting.

The players

Dominique Luján

Newly elected Santa Barbara Community College trustee for Trustee Area 5, a full-time student who moved to Santa Barbara in 2020.

Andrea Varon

Retired elementary school teacher and administrator leading for the Trustee Area 7 seat on the Santa Barbara Community College board.

Marsha Croninger

Four-term trustee on the Santa Barbara Community College board whom Luján will succeed.

The details

Luján, 40, is a full-time student who moved to Santa Barbara in 2020, and will take office in January. Varon, 70, is a retired elementary school teacher and administrator who moved to the city in 2021 and will replace her sister, Ellen Stoddard, who is retiring after one term. The Faculty Association did not endorse in either race.

Tuesday, November 3, 2026: Election night vote count showed Luján and Varon leading.
January 2027: Luján begins representing Trustee Area 5 on the board.

Season Trajectory

Under California's trustee-area system, each seat represents a defined geographic area, so Luján's Trustee Area 5 and Varon's Trustee Area 7 win extend that structure across the district. The seats replace long-serving and retiring members, shaping the board's direction in the years ahead.

Residents in Trustee Areas 5 and 7 will see new representatives on the board starting in January, which affects who makes decisions about campus programs and budgets. Students and staff who want to follow board business can track meetings once the new trustees are seated.

The takeaway

Local board races can turn on endorsements and low-cost campaigns, so voters who follow endorsing organizations and candidate backgrounds gain useful context for future elections. Checking final certified results will confirm the outcome.