Officially and at least temporarily, Tim Shaw is not on the Orange County Board of Education following a recent court ruling.

On Tuesday, June 7, voters will decide whether Shaw, 45, will win re-election to finish a two-year term as he competes against three challengers: Paulette Chaffee, 73, an attorney and former teacher; David M. Choi, 43, a certified public accountant; and Ellisa Kim, 42, a business owner.

The winner will represent Trustee Area 4, which includes Buena Park, Fullerton, La Habra, Placentia, and portions of Anaheim.

Unlike other primaries, whoever gets the most votes on June 7 becomes the winner in the Orange County Board of Education trustee races. The same is true for the Orange County Department of Education superintendent race.

Shaw was first elected in 2020, but because he resigned in November and was re-appointed in December, he must run for re-election to stay on the board. And because the seat was temporarily vacated last year, whoever wins will serve for two years instead of four years.

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Meanwhile, Shaw is involved in litigation challenging his appointment. In April, an Orange County Superior Court judge temporarily barred Shaw from his board seat. Shaw called it a politically motivated ploy to impact his chances at election time.

Shaw has been part of a Orange County Board of Education contingent that has pushed a more conservative agenda, including promoting charter schools, opposing critical race theory, and pushing back against pandemic-related measures like face masks.

Shaw’s leading opponent is Chaffee, a former teacher who touts her lifetime teaching certification. Chaffee lent her campaign $280,000.

Shaw, meanwhile, had raised more than $228,000, according to campaign finance disclosure reports filed with the Orange County Registrar of Voters.

With three board members — Shaw, Mari Barke, and Lisa Sparks — up for re-election in competitive races, the power dynamics on the board could potentially shift depending on the outcome of the June 7 election. In recent years, the Board of Education has opposed Superintendent Al Mijares on a number of issues as it sought to wrestle more power away from the superintendent and have a greater say over the Orange County Department of Education budget and other matters.

The Register will be offering live updates as ballots are counted Tuesday night. Please check back regularly for new information.

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