North County College District Candidate Pulls Out of Race

ANAHEIM — Marlen Gonzalez, who filed as a candidate for the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees, has withdrawn from the race.

Gonzalez, who filed for the race after the deadline was extended from Aug. 7 to Aug. 12, said she was withdrawing because of the expense of campaigning.

However, Gonzalez’s name will still appear on the ballot because she made the decision after sample ballots had been mailed and official ballots printed.

Registrar of voters spokeswoman Beverly Warner said that Gonzalez is still considered a candidate and that any votes cast for her will be counted.

“Once the filing period is closed, candidates cannot withdraw,” Warner said.

District officials had asked the registrar of voters to remove Gonzalez’s name or notify voters that she is not a candidate.

The situation is all too familiar to district officials. Four years ago, a candidate, who coincidentally was also named Gonzalez, withdrew just before the election. Rebecca Gonzalez’s name appeared on the ballot and she received the most votes.

“We had to fill the seat with the candidate with the second-highest vote count,” district spokeswoman Donna Hatchett said.

That candidate, Steve White, was appointed to a two-year term, which expired in 1990, and will once again compete with a non-candidate named Gonzalez in this election.

“It’s awfully strange,” White said of the coincidence.