Dani Sheehan-Meyer has announced that she is withdrawing from the race for the Area 4 seat on the West Sonoma County Union High School District board. Area 4 covers much of Sebastopol and several Laguna neighborhoods stretching over to Guerneville Road. Sheehan-Meyer’s departure leaves the field to incumbent candidate Lewis Buchner, who joins two other WSCUHSD board candidates in running unopposed.
Election specialist Julianne Goble at the Sonoma County Registrar of Voters said, “Once the nomination period ends” — and that happened in late September — “people can’t officially drop out. The deadline for withdrawal is when nominations close. After that, because of ballot printing deadlines, they’re officially on the ballot no matter what. They can tell people not to vote for them. They can say they’re dropping out, but any votes for them will still count.”
Sheehan-Meyer is now urging voters not to vote for her but to vote instead for Lewis Buchner.
Why did she change her mind?
Sheehan-Meyer said she decided to run at the last minute because she has a grandson with special needs, and she and her daughter were upset about the board’s recent discussions concerning the special education consortium.
Her daughter didn’t have the bandwith to run for office, so she urged her mother to do so. Sheehan-Meyer agreed with some trepidation.
“Schools aren't really my thing,” she said. “I've been in construction. I’ve advocated for the SMART train.”
She said she’s not a quitter—and she’s a little embarrassed to find herself in this position—but when she got to know the broader field of candidates running for the high school board, she just changed her mind.
“Here’s all the people who want to do this, and I was doing it because I didn’t see any alternatives,” she said. “But now I’m seeing the alternatives—and they’re going to be just fine with these three people coming on board … Lewis is uniquely qualified. Denny Rosatti, I’ve known for many, many years, and his wife was on the school board. And Hal Kwalwasser, the newcomer, seems brilliant … His pedigree is astounding.”
As for Lewis Buchner, he’s feeling philosophical about the whole thing.
Contested campaigns are more expensive than running unopposed. Paying for the signs, plus door hangers, plus the candidate statement in English and Spanish in the Voter Information Guide came to around $1,800, but he’s not begrudging the money.
“I wish Dani had come to her decision before my friends helped me place yard signs and deliver 1,500 door hangers,” he said, but added, “It’s all OK. We move on.”
“It’s all somehow part of local democracy and being willing to ante up,” he said.
“I admire Dani's decision to make her choice public,” Buchner said. “Our conversations have been open and honest. I wish her only the best.”
