A challenger has jumped out to an early lead over a sitting school board clerk in Apple Valley, with returns posted after 10 p.m. Tuesday showing Roman Mora Aguilar III surpassing incumbent Maria U. Okpara in the race for Apple Valley Unified School District Trustee Area 4. The count is still unfolding, and nothing about the outcome is final.
Those early numbers, reported according to the San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters, showed Aguilar ahead of Okpara at the polls, as reported by the Victorville Daily Press. The contest is officially listed as the Apple Valley Unified School District Trustee Area 4 election held Nov. 3, 2026, according to Elections Simplified.
Who's Running for the Seat
Okpara currently serves as clerk of the Apple Valley Unified school board and is a retired administrator from the district, per the same elections profile. Her stated priorities include keeping campuses safe, ensuring fair education for all students, and giving families a voice in how the district plans ahead.
Aguilar, her challenger, has spent nearly two decades with Hesperia Unified School District, where he now works as an assistant IT director. His campaign priorities, as listed in the profile, center on directing more money into classrooms, restoring school safety positions, and strengthening career and special education programs.
How the Count Moves Forward
The early lead reflects only a snapshot of ballots counted so far, not a completed tally. The county's results page for the 2026 cycle states that the first results would be posted after polls closed Tuesday, with updates following every two hours until all polling-place ballots are counted. A separate county explainer, written for a 2022 election, describes election-night totals generally as unofficial and cumulative, covering ballots gathered from polling places as well as mail ballots received before Election Day.
Per the county's registrar, the canvass for the 2026 General Election begins Wednesday, and final results are expected to be certified no later than Dec. 3. That monthlong window means Tuesday's lead could still shift as additional ballots are processed and verified.
The Daily Press also tracked Apple Valley Unified's Board Areas 2 and 5 on its live-results page alongside Area 4, with candidate vote totals and percentages for both seats included in Tuesday night's reporting.
