Carolyn Lopez, Ben Owens and Shawntee Rothschild were leading the general election race for three seats on the Maricopa Unified School District Governing Board. 

Lopez led the pack, garnering 11,377 votes, or 31%. Owens followed with 9,790 votes, or 27%.  

Rothschild was barely leading 2024 Maricopa High School graduate Nicolas Yendrzeski, 18, by just 20 votes.

She had 7,699 votes, or 20.88%. Yendrzeski was trailing with 7,679 votes, or 20.83%. About two-thirds of a percent of the vote is yet to be counted.

Rothschild was unavailable for comment tonight. 

The three top vote winners will fill the seats being vacated by departing longtime school board members Tori Anderson and AnnaMarie Knorr. The candidates are also vying for the third opening now held by Lopez, who was appointed late last year by Pinal County Schools Superintendent Jill Broussard. 

Lopez is an Alterra resident and advocate for special needs students at MUSD. She is the mother of two special needs children.  

She was appointed to the school board after elected Board Vice President Gary Miller resigned last year.  

Lopez told InMaricopa she believes special education issues are where she can make her greatest contribution. She also said she still has a lot to learn and wants the opportunity to do so in a full term. 

“Thank you to all the people that voted for me,” Lopez said in a text message to InMaricopa at 10 p.m. “I look forward to continuing to work for all our families and making MUSD a gold standard in education.”

Owens served on the school board from 2018 to 2022.  

During Owens’ first term, he was elected board president one year and vice president for three years. He has lived in Maricopa almost 10 years.  

“I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to each and every community member who has supported my campaign to join the MUSD governing board,” Owens told InMaricopa tonight. “The community’s support has been very appreciated. Serving on the board is about more than just a commitment — it’s about making our district and community stronger and better for everyone.” 

Rothschild, a Rancho Mirage resident, was one of the Pinal County Superintendent Office applicants for the seat in which Broussard appointed Lopez.  

Yendrzeski, an Alterra resident, is now attending Arizona State University as a political science major. 

“The results are very close right now,” Yendrzeski said tonight. 

He said he knew a number of people who voted on Election Day,  “and I hope there are enough so I can secure a seat on the board.” 

Yendrzeski said he found it difficult to get his name out to voters being the youngest school board candidate in school district history at age 18. 

“I’m truly thankful for those who supported me,” he said.