By Sara Beth Williams–
Two San Juan Unified School District Board of Education members who upset multiple union-backed board member candidates in 2022 are running for reelection in 2026 unopposed.
For this election season, current Board president and small business owner Tanya Kravchuk of Trustee Area 5, Board Vice President and parent activist Ben Avey of Trustee Area 6, are running for reelection unopposed according to the Sacramento County Voters Registrar’s Office.
Manuel Perez, of Trustee Area 7 representing Citrus Heights, who was elected during a special election after the death of Board member Steve Miller in mid-2022, is also running for reelection against former San Juan school board candidate Murad “Moe” Sarama.
In 2022, three of the four school board candidates backed by the San Juan Teachers Association lost in their bids to win or keep their seats on the School District’s governing board — a sharp contrast from the 2020 elections when all three teachers union-endorsed candidates won.
The San Juan school board is responsible for approving an annual budget and setting policies and goals that affect 40,000 students throughout the entire district, which includes Citrus Heights, as well as Carmichael, Arden-Arcade, Fair Oaks and Orangevale.
This year again, four seats are up for grabs on the seven-member board during the November 2026 elections, with three covering areas in Citrus Heights.
Manuel Perez: (incumbent, candidate Area 7)
Perez’s campaign website has not been updated for this year’s election cycle and lists election information from 2022. Previously, Perez listed endorsements from former Citrus Heights Mayor Tim Schaefer, the California Parents Union, former Sacramento Board Supervisor Sue Frost, Sen. Roger Niello, Assemblyman Josh Hoover, Capital Lincoln Club, and several other San Juan Unified School Board members.
Perez is running in Area 7, which was added in July 2021 after the School Board adopted a new map adding two new Trustee Areas, one of which represented all of Citrus Heights.
Murad “Moe” Sarama: (candidate, Area 7)
Sarama, who is running against Perez, was previously endorsed by former Citrus Heights Mayor and current Vice Mayor Porsche Middleton in 2022, according to previous Sentinel reporting. His campaign website has not been updated, but lists other previous endorsements, including former SJUSD President Paula Villascaz, former Vice President Zima Creason, and former Sacramento City Mayor Pro Tem Eric Guerra, among other elected leaders, educators and parents.
Tanya Kravchuk: (incumbent, running unopposed)
Kravchuk’s campaign website also does not list any 2026 endorsements. In 2022, Kravchuk was endorsed by the Republican Party, Assemblyman Kevin Kiley, Sen. Niello, Assemblyman Hoover, Natomas Unified School District President Micah Grant, and former Citrus Heights Mayor Bret Daniels.
Kravchuk is running to represent Area 5, which primarily covers Orangevale and parts of Citrus Heights east of San Juan Avenue and Old Auburn Road.
Ben Avey: (incumbent, running unopposed)
Avey’s campaign website lists endorsements from Sen. Niello, Assemblyman Hoover, Sacramento County Supervisor Rich Desmond, Sacramento County Board of Education Trustee Vanessa Caigon, and former San Juan Unified School Board Trustee Zima Creason, along with the San Juan Parents Association and Sacramento Association of Realtors.
Avey is running to represent Area 6, representing Fair Oaks, Gold River, and parts of Citrus Heights, and Orangevale.
According to the teachers’ association’s website, the SJTA has not listed any endorsements for candidates running this election.
Related: Meet the MVHS grad who unseated San Juan’s school board president – Citrus Heights Sentinel
In 2022, the district transitioned to electing school board members by trustee areas, rather than electing them district-wide. School board member candidates were required to live in their local trustee area and were also elected only by those in that same area, rather than district-wide.
The district also expanded its ranks from five members to seven members, creating two open seats with no incumbents.
