Juan Blea was poised late Tuesday to win Santa Fe Public Schools’ District 5 school board seat, a competitive race that saw him triumph over three opponents, including the incumbent.

Blea had 42% of the votes, according to preliminary results, leading runner-up Jack Lain by 8 points. Incumbent Lynn Gardner Heffron, appointed to the seat in summer 2024 after former board member Sascha Guinn Anderson stepped down, had received 13% of the votes and Brenda Colburn 11%.

The win was unexpected for Blea, who last week said he wouldn’t host an election watch party since “a public nervous breakdown might look bad.”

School board Vice President Kate Noble ran unopposed for her District 3 seat, which represents the northernmost section of the school district.

Meanwhile, incumbent Jody Pugh led the

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