Governing Board Member, Tucson Unified School District
November 3, 2026 · Tucson Unified District, Arizona · School district · general
How do we calculate vote impact?
Vote impact = representation (how much weight one vote carries here, the smaller the district's population, the higher the representation) + decisiveness (how likely this race is to be close, based on past results and number of candidates).
Representation: Low · 0 out of 100
This district is large for its type, so each vote is a smaller slice of the outcome. About 486,881 people live here.
score = 100 × ln(largest population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(largest ÷ smallest), rounded to 2 decimals = 100 × ln(496,570 ÷ 486,881) ÷ ln(496,570 ÷ 688) = 0.3, comparing unified school districts in AZ (grades: 66+ high, 33+ average, otherwise low)
Decisiveness: Unknown
No past results for this contest yet.
Low representation + unknown decisiveness → Below average vote impact.
Some data is missing, so this rating is based on partial information and capped at "High".
School Board Member is responsible for:
- Setting policy for the school district
- Approving the district budget and spending
- Hiring and reviewing the superintendent
- Deciding school boundaries, calendars, and curriculum choices within state rules
Affected Areas: Government Efficiency, Government Spending Reduction, Public Safety and Crime Control, Public Education Quality, Data Privacy, Civil Rights, Public Infrastructure
Candidates
Jennifer Eckstrom
Nonpartisan · Incumbent · declared
Jennifer Eckstrom is an incumbent member of the Tucson Unified School District governing board. She previously served on the South Tucson City Council (first elected in 1995 at age 18) and as mayor of South Tucson, and works as a community and faith-based coordinator for Pima County's Workforce Development Department.
Records: Civil Rights 1 for, Data Privacy 1 for, Public Education Quality 2 for
Pilar Acosta Ruiz
Nonpartisan · declared
Pilar Acosta Ruiz is a 2026 candidate for the Tucson Unified School District governing board, having previously run for the seat in 2024. A member of Teamsters Local 104, she describes herself as an active participant in TUSD board meetings since 2011.
Records: Government Efficiency 1 for, Public Education Quality 1 for
Skye Fernandez
Nonpartisan · declared
Skye Fernandez is a 2026 candidate for the Tucson Unified School District governing board, one of five candidates who filed nomination petitions for the two seats up in the November 2026 election.
Tre'Davon Rhodes
Nonpartisan · declared
Tre'Davon Rhodes is a 2026 candidate for the Tucson Unified School District governing board and, at age 20, the youngest in the field. He is a University of Arizona junior studying political science and economics who has balanced work and school since high school.
Records: Government Efficiency 1 for
Val Romero
Nonpartisan · Incumbent · declared
Val Romero is an incumbent member of the Tucson Unified School District governing board, serving since 2023. He has previously run for a Tucson Ward 6 City Council seat and for the Pima County Board of Supervisors in District 5.
Records: Civil Rights 1 against, Government Efficiency 2 for, Government Spending Reduction 1 for, Public Education Quality 1 against
Election sources
Source: blogforarizona.net
Source: news.azpm.org