Former Elk Grove Unified Trustee Endorses Kirk Thomson in Area 2 School Board Race

Today, Elk Grove Unified School District Area 2 Trustee candidate Kirk Thomas announced the endorsement of a former three-term school board trustee.

That endorsement came from former EGUSD Area 7 Trustee Carmine Forcina. First elected to the board of trustees in 2012, Mr. Forcina served three terms before losing his bid for a fourth term in 2024 to current board member Heidi Moore in a three-candidate race.

This endorsement is noteworthy because Forcina, along with then-trustee candidates Steve Ly and Tony Perez, received endorsements and substantial support from the Sacramento area Democratic organization to defeat two incumbents and one other candidate, all of whom were considered conservative. Forcina was also supported by the Democratic apparatus in 2016 when he faced conservative candidate Nikita Kostyuk.

However, during the COVID-19 pandemic school closures, Forcina took decidedly more conservative stances on several issues, leading to public confrontations with fellow board members (see videos below).

Interestingly, Forcina came in last place in the 2024 three-way race. Heidi Moore won the seat with 44.2% of the vote, while second-place finisher Rehana Rehman captured 29.5% and Forcina earned 29.5%.

Mr. Thomson is challenging first-term incumbent Michael Vargas, who has secured endorsements from many Sacramento area Democratic elected officials. Area 2 lies entirely within Elk Grove's city limits and has a Democratic voter-registration advantage.

The contrasting stances of the candidates on several issues, not the least of which are in the so-called culture wars, will present voters with a contest between incumbent Vargas and challenger Thomson, allowing them to either reinforce existing board philosophies or add another voice on the board hoping to steer the district in a different direction.