Richard Barrera Wins California Superintendent Race

Overview

• Barrera defeated Republican Sonja Shaw by roughly 57.6% to 42.4%, a margin of more than one million votes with all precincts reported.
• Shaw conceded late Wednesday and said she plans to challenge the new commissioner law in court while also confirming she will not return to her local school board.
• The California Teachers Association spent roughly $8.4 million supporting Barrera, a gap that widened the effective spending advantage over Shaw’s roughly $595,000 in campaign funds.
• Under the law Gov. Gavin Newsom signed, the next governor will appoint an education commissioner to run the Department of Education in 2027, and Barrera and that commissioner are expected to negotiate the superintendent’s narrowed duties.
• The result underscores how the nonpartisan office split along partisan lines in 2026, continuing a trend of heavy union influence in superintendents’ races and setting up a transition that will shape who controls school budgets and policy next year.