Dennis McNamara has conceded the race for the Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education District 7 seat to Cynthia Torres, saying he called her Thursday morning to congratulate her on her victory.
“I called Cynthia Torres … and gave her my congratulations on winning the D7 seat and for running a great campaign. I told her she will have my full support and that I will root hard for her and the entire Board’s success,” McNamara said in an email to Pasadena Now on Thursday.
Election results show Torres with 6,033 votes, or 58.69 percent, to McNamara’s 4,246 votes, or 41.31 percent. The results are incomplete but indicate a gap McNamara could not close.
Torres, a Pasadena college admissions consultant with more than a decade of school finance oversight experience, declared victory Tuesday night, as she held a lead of about 15 percentage points.
“I feel very grateful for the trust that’s been extended to me,” Torres said in an interview at her election-night gathering. “And I will work so hard to justify that support and to bring a new day to the school board. I hope that what I can communicate is hope that we’re really going to be turning the page and bringing a renewed focus.”
In a written statement addressed to the Pasadena Unified School District community, McNamara thanked the community for its support of the schools and its engagement during what he called a spirited campaign.
“While our respective campaigns enumerated specific differences in priorities and approach, we both want what is best for students and families,” McNamara wrote. “I will root hard for her success and that of the entire Board.”
McNamara also returned to a point he made during the campaign.
“As I said at candidate forums, while only District 7 voters could support me, my Board vote would count for the entirety of [Pasadena Unified School District]. It’s an important perspective to keep in mind as decisions impact us district wide,” McNamara said.
The seat is being vacated by Board Vice President Yarma Velázquez, who announced she would not seek re-election. In his statement, McNamara thanked Velázquez for her extraordinary service to the community over the past four years and called her a tireless advocate for students.
Addressing his own voters, McNamara wrote that it had been “humbling and affirming” to hear their voices, gain their support and embrace their desires for a better Pasadena Unified School District.
“I believe our voices have been heard and will inform public discourse,” he wrote. “Let’s get behind the new Board and help them bring [Pasadena Unified School District] to higher ground. Let’s elevate students!”
The race is decided by plurality, meaning the candidate with the most votes wins regardless of whether that total exceeds 50 percent.
District 7 covers parts of western Pasadena, including the neighborhoods around the Rose Bowl and Madison Heights.
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