Fullerton

PYLUSD Area 4 Trustee Candidate

Campaign Statement:

“TODD FRAZIER | AGE: 45 | Governing Board Member, Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District

As your Placentia-Yorba Linda school board trustee, a Certified Public Accountant, and a father of three PYLUSD students, I have worked to put students first and be consistent with the promises I made to our families in 2022. In every decision, I always focus on student interests first.

When I first ran, I pledged fiscal discipline, transparency, and an education system focused on academics rather than politics. On the board, I have applied my CPA training to scrutinize the

budget, protect classroom dollars, and hold spending accountable to results, because every dollar counts.

There is still work to do, and I am asking for your vote to continue confronting challenging issues.

I will keep defending parental rights, protect girls' sports, and focus on student success in and outside the classroom. Parents deserve transparency about what is taught in the classroom, timely notifications, and a genuine voice in their children's education. I believe classroom instruction should be academic and age-appropriate so students can focus on reading, writing, math, and critical thinking. Political agendas including CRT and DEI advocated by some local universities have no place in PYLUSD.

Our daughters have a right to compete on a level playing field. I oppose biological males in girls athletic competitions or in girls locker rooms. I will fight to defend these rights, and keep communication between the district and its families open and honest.

As a business owner, I believe our schools should prepare all students for success, not only those bound for a four-year university. I will expand real career pathways in the skilled trades, technology, entrepreneurship, and artificial intelligence, so graduates leave PYLUSD immediately prepared to earn, build, and Lead.

For more than thirty years, Yorba Linda has been my home. My wife and I have raised our family here, worshiped here. I have coached and supported local youth sports. I love this community, and our schools should reflect its values: integrity, hard work, and respect

for every family.

I would be honored to keep serving you. Thank you for your trust, your prayers, and your vote.

Learn more at voteforfrazier.com.”

Email: 

Campaign Website: https://voteforfrazier.com/ 

Todd’s campaign website leads with a photo of him in front of an American flag, and the words, “Faith. Family. Freedom.”

Priorities: 

• Protect Girls’ Sports

• Parents’ Rights

• Student Academic Success

• Career Pathways

Any Other Interesting Info:

• Frazier’s campaign signs have a piece added to the top of them that say “Protect Girls Sports” source

• Incumbent, first elected in 2022. Source

• Frazier is originally from Missouri, having received his BS in Mathematics Education from Southeast Missouri State University, and later obtaining a teaching certificate in Missouri. Teaching certificates from out-of-state are still considered valid in California. Source

• During an October 10, 2023 PYLUSD meeting regarding forced outing policies, Frazier suggested repeatedly that being transgender is a mental illness, since ‘gender dysphoria’ is in the DSM-V (The standard reference book published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) that defines and classifies mental health and behavioral disorders.) Find the conversation around the 2:05:00 mark here.

  • FACT CHECK: The DSM-V explicitly states that being transgender is not a mental illness, and has not been considered as such for quite some time. The American Psychiatry Association states, “With the publication of DSM–5 in 2013, “gender identity disorder” was eliminated and replaced with “gender dysphoria.” This change further focused the diagnosis on the gender identity-related distress that some transgender people experience (and for which they may seek psychiatric, medical, and surgical treatments) rather than on transgender individuals or identities themselves (...) The DSM–5 articulates explicitly that “gender non-conformity is not in itself a mental disorder.” The 5th edition also includes a separate “gender dysphoria in children” diagnosis and for the first time allows the diagnosis to be given to individuals with disorders of sex development (DSD). DSM–5 also includes the optional “post-transition” specifier to indicate when a particular individual’s gender transition is complete. In this “post-transition” case, the diagnosis of gender dysphoria would no longer apply but the individual may still need ongoing medical care (e.g., hormonal treatment). Nevertheless, discussions continue among advocates and medical professionals about how best to preserve access to gender transition-related health care while also minimizing the degree to which such diagnostic categories stigmatize the very people that physicians are attempting to help.”

Social Media Links: 

• Campaign Instagram

• Personal Instagram

• Campaign Twitter

• Personal Twitter

• Campaign Facebook

• Business/Influencer Facebook

• Podcast Facebook

• On his personal instagram on May 3, 2022, he shared an image that said, “Truth without Love is harshness, Love without Truth is hypocrisy!” and the caption “The concept of what love IS seems to have been lost in today's culture. ❤️🙏” (source)

• On his personal instagram on October 27, 2022, he shared a gif that said, “Society: You’re a Bigot! | Me: You keep using that word, I do not think you know what it means”, and the caption “Some people. 🤣🤣🤣 🙌” (source)

• On his personal instagram May 1, 2022, he shared a screenshot of a Twitter post of Christian Nationalist actor Kevin Sorbo saying “Remember kids, the party that says that men can get pregnant wants to control ‘misinformation’ on the internet”, with the caption, “…and want to “educate” our children. 😳” (source) FACT CHECK: Trans men can, in fact, get pregnant. 

• On March 15, 2022, he shared a post on his personal instagram with a photo of the Bible verse 1 Corinthians 13:4–7 (Love is patient, love is kind…) and the caption, “The biblical definition of love does not AVOID truth but REJOICES in it. When Christians talk about loving our neighbor, if they require us to avoid, ignore, or compromise truth, they are redefining what biblical love is.” source 

• On his personal Twitter account on May 4, 2022, he replied to a post rejoicing in SCOTUS Justice Alito calling for the overturning of reproductive freedom precedence cases Roe and Casey, saying, “Agreed! People were talking about it years ago but I never thought it would come to pass. Wow! 🙌❤️🙏” source 

Follows on Twitter/Instagram/Facebook:

• Benny Johnson, far-right influencer who said the following at a late 2025 TPUSA event; “God doesn’t make mistakes. Transgenderism is a lie from the pit of Hell, and I’m sick of seeing transgender violence and murderers in my country. And what has made me so angry about this moment is that it should have been a unifying moment for us all to say, what a horrid and wretched ideology. Now it’s time to kick in doors, right? Come on, FBI, do some door kicking. Round them up. The violent Antifa members, the Transtifa members, it’s time, okay?” Source NOTE: Frazier follows Johnson from his public campaign instagram account, one of only 34 accounts he followed from that page at the time of this research. His campaign has, by following this account specifically from his campaign page, made a choice to reflect Johnson’s values as the values of Frazier’s campaign. 

• Jack Posobiec, alt-right influencer, white supremacist, and peddler of conspiracy theories such as Pizzagate. Read his profile on the Southern Poverty Law Center here. NOTE: Frazier follows Posobiec from his public campaign instagram. 

• Matt Walsh, alt-right influencer, white supremacist, and anti-LGBTQ activist. Walsh has openly called for the arrest, imprisonment, and death penalty of medical professionals who provide gender affirming care to minors. (source) He has been repeatedly tied to propaganda campaigns targeting American hospitals that have provided care to transgender youth, resulting in a wave of bomb threats towards those hospitals, and describes himself as a fascist. You can read his profile on the Southern Poverty Law Center here. NOTE: Frazier follows Posobiec from his public campaign instagram.

• Madison Miner, former Orange USD Trustee who was recalled and now serves as the Orange County Chair of Moms for Liberty

• Dan Bongino, far-right influencer and fmr. Deputy Director of the FBI (2025-2026). On his show, “The Dan Bongino Show”, he repeatedly discusses the LGBTQ community in negative and conspiratorial ways. 

• Turning Point USA

• Nick Shirley, far-right influencer who has made a career out of pushing racist conspiracies

• Jack Hibbs, openly Christian Nationalist head pastor of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills, who is deeply involved in anti-LGBTQ political efforts here in SoCal

Candidate’s Public Comments:

• During a PYLUSD Board meeting while discussing an agenda item - a resolution from Leandra Blades to thank ICE and state that school faculty should not obstruct ICE if their operations occur on PYLUSD property - Frazier spoke in support. He said, “I think the point of this is that in general, no matter the circumstances, you don’t obstruct, right?” Trustee Carrie Buck responded with questions about what faculty should do in the case of ICE efforts to abduct a student from school property. Frazier replied, “I mean, I feel like we have this conversation a lot about trying to put actual actionable steps inside the policy when that’s not the place for them. (...) I think the important part here is that just like you said, Carrie, you should not be throwing your body in front of law enforcement and doing things to obstruct the law enforcement as they come on campus, regardless of how it happens, because we want to keep our staff safe. We want to keep our students safe in all this.” source

• In October 2023, Frazier brought a watered down Forced Outing Policy to the PYLUSD board at the same time as other districts were working to pass similar policies. However, Frazier’s agenda item did not have any specific references to gender identity in it, creating what LGBTQ+ allies felt was a vague loophole to create a policy in practice that would be harder to get past the board majority if it was spelled out in writing. Frazier said about this policy, “This is a tool to be able to make sure that our parents are informed about things all the way from disruption of student learning up through extreme situations (...) It’s not an outing policy, it’s parent communication.” source

Endorsed by: 

• Nancy’s Picks - Nancy’s Picks (far-right voter guide in Orange County, whose criteria for endorsement include “PRO-LIFE & PROTECTIONS for the UNBORN”, “PRO-SANCTITY of HETEROSEXUAL MARRIAGE”, “PRO-PARENTAL RIGHTS in EDUCATION”, “PRO-NUCLEAR FAMILY”, “SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL and IT’S RIGHT to EXIST”, “SECURE & SEAL OUR BORDERS”, and more. 

• Reform California - (far-right organization led by Carl DeMaio)

• Madison Miner (Chair, Moms for Liberty’s Orange County Chapter. Her public positions and endorsements are posted at her Instagram social media site madison4oc.  Madison Miner won an Orange Unified school board seat in 2022. Voters recalled her in 2024. The L. A. Times reported that Miner was one of two conservative board members who had spearheaded policies widely opposed by advocates for LGBTQ+ youth in a recall election viewed as a local bellwether for the culture wars in education.)

Candidate in the News:

• (Opinion: OC Register) “Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified trustees OK creepy plan to censor books”

• (Voice of OC) “An OC School District Adopts New Parent Alert Policy; Will it Impact LGBTQ+ Students?”

• (EdSource) “Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified adopts parental notification policy excluding terms ‘gender identity’ and ‘transgender’” 

• (OC Register) “Placentia-Yorba Linda school board majority strikes ICE support references, updates policy for enforcement response”

Public Voting Record:

• Voted Yes on a Forced Outing Policy in 2023

• Voted Yes on a Resolution to Support ICE in 2026

Follow the Money: 

• Frazier has not submitted his campaign finance filings yet

PYLUSD Area 4 Trustee Candidate

Campaign Statement:

“CHRIS LOWE | Educator/Businessowner/Parent

My children all graduated from or currently attend Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District schools, just like I did. At Chapman University, I currently teach graduate students and have served as:

• Assistant Dean  

• Director of Executive Education

• Founding Director of a master’s program in the College of Business and Economics

At the Richard Nixon Foundation, my work includes developing civics education platforms for students from 3rd grade to college and launching the new American Civics Academy to expand civics education nationally. I worked for Governor Pete Wilson, helping launch California’s landmark 1996 Class Size Reduction Initiative.

As a former Mayor, I championed reopening an elementary school and authored a civic history book and engagement program for 3rd graders. Even in college, I cared deeply about education policy, serving on the California State University System Board of Trustees.

I’m a concerned parent, educator, taxpayer, and small business owner who is profoundly worried about the state of the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District: outstanding teachers leaving, ongoing budget deficits, and frequent leadership turnover. Cal State Fullerton is so concerned that they’ve stopped placing student teachers in Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District schools.

If elected as your Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District

Trustee, I will:

• Protect academic opportunities

• Recruit and retain great teachers

• Prioritize special education

• Strengthen school safety

• Restore fiscal stability

Please vote for Chris Lowe for Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District. www.loweforpylusd.com”

Email: chris@loweforpylusd.com 

Campaign Website: https://www.loweforpylusd.com/ 

Under his “Why I’m Running” section of his webpage, Chris says, “Most parents want the same things: safe schools, great teachers, strong academic programs, and confidence that their children are being prepared for the future. That's what I want too. Being on the school board isn't about creating conflict or chasing political battles. It's about helping schools succeed. That means supporting teachers and staff, listening to parents, being a responsible steward of taxpayer dollars, and making decisions based on what's best for students. That’s the assignment. And that’s what I’ll do.”

Priorities: 

• Protect the programs that make Placentia-Yorba Linda schools worth choosing.

• Keep great teachers in our classrooms.

• Support special education instead of treating it as an afterthought.

• Address real safety concerns like e-bikes, vaping, and AI misuse.

• Be a responsible steward of the budget and finances.

Any Other Interesting Info:

• Lowe is a lecturer at Chapman University’s George L. Argyros College of Business and Economics source

• Former Placentia City Councilmember and Mayor, with a term between 1998 and 2006. As far as our research went, most of the controversial city council agenda items during this time centered mostly around zoning issues, train whistles, public comment procedures, and property usage in the downtown core, rather than anything that would have impacted marginalized communities especially. source source source 

  • One issue that DID receive a lot of community attention while he was on the council was around whether city streets in Placentia could be named after current/living city councilmembers. We’ve quoted him on the issue further down, under “Public Comments”.

• Served as the Executive Director of the Fullerton Chamber of Commerce between 1999 and 2004. 

• From 1995-1997, Lowe worked as the Deputy Director for the Governor’s Office in Orange County under Governor Pete Wilson, who he refers to in an instagram post as “my favorite boss”. Wilson served as Governor of California during a substantial period of LGBTQ activism, and has a complicated track record. In 1991, he vetoed Assembly Bill 101, which would have outlawed employment discrimination against gays and lesbians. After a significant backlash to his veto, Wilson changed course and in 1992, signed a modified version of the bill that called for civil consequences for violators rather than criminal consequences. This was 35 years ago, and we don’t know how Chris felt about that specific part of Wilson’s legacy - his role in the Wilson administration was focused on business, trade, and commerce issues, although he has referenced that he also was involved in the Wilson administration's work on reducing class sizes for K-12 schools. 

• He’s worked extensively within executive leadership at the Disney Company, primarily in government relations. One of the things that he marks as a success on his linkedin is how he “created coalition of 10K+ residents in historic initiative campaign that led to new legislation protecting resort district [sic].” This is a reference to his time as a Disney advisor for Save Our Anaheim Resort District (SOAR), a citizen group that worked to lobby against a 1,500 unit housing development being built in the Disney Resort district in Anaheim in the late 2000’s. The approximately 10,000 community members in the group contributed approximately $2,000 total, but Disney invested over $2,000,000 in the effort. Chris spoke at city council meetings as Disney’s representative and served as advisor to SOAR, and the housing development was blocked. Source source

• He’s a consultant with Cal Pacific Partners, a business strategy, government relations, and public policy consulting firm located in Anaheim, California. source 

• He’s written a children’s history book aimed at 3rd grade level readers. source 

• https://goodnews.pylusd.org/?p=35848

• https://schoolnewsrollcall.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/PYL_MAY_23.pdf (page 22)

Social Media Links: 

• Linkedin

• Personal Instagram

In 2018, he visited the Trump White House, captioning an Instagram post of the visit with “Proud to be an American, Visiting the White House is always a humbling experience.” Visiting the White House does not necessarily mean that he supported the administration residing within the White House at that time. He geotagged it with “Trump White House”.

Follows on Twitter/Instagram/Facebook:

***Chris follows a lot of Disney corporate accounts, which aligns with his professional career working in high level Disney leadership. We didn’t find any especially partisan accounts one way or the other, beyond a handful of accounts belonging to elected officials local to the region.

• Jon Dumitru (Councilmember in the City of Orange)

• Richard Nixon Foundation (Chris has worked for this foundation, which is located here in the area and is not overtly partisan in today’s politics - it’s part of the Richard Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda)

• Chapman University (Lowe is a professor at Chapman)

• Janet Nguyen (Current OC Supervisor)

• Steps of Faith (Nonprofit providing aid to uninsured and underinsured amputees receive medical care/prosthetics)

• Dennis Bilodeau (Councilmember in the City of Orange)

• Congressman Lou Correa

• Orange County Board of Education

• Trevor O'Neil (Councilmember for the City of Anaheim)

Candidate’s Public Comments:

• In 2000, when Lowe was on the Placentia city council, there was controversy around whether city streets in Placentia could be named after current/living city council members. While we can’t find a digitized version of the votes or transcriptions of the meetings online, the LA Times quoted Lowe as seeming to be disapproving of the practice; “Some who have been passed over voiced concern, albeit couched in humor. “So there is no Lowe Drive there, huh?” quipped Councilman Chris Lowe, who has yet to see his name attached to a thoroughfare. “What does one have to do to get one of these?’” Source

• Paraphrase quote from the OC Register when he stepped down from the Placentia city council; ‘He said he ran on the platform of getting new blood into council and new ideas, so according to his own philosophy, it was time for him to stop running for the office.’ source

Endorsed by: Not yet publicized

Candidate in the News:

• (OC Register) Lowe steps down

• (LA Times) Placentia Plays Name Game With Streets

• (LA Times) Resort District group’s main backer is Disney

• (LA Times) Placentia’s Not Whistling a Happy Tune

Public Voting Record:

Lowe served for his considerable amount of time in an elected seat with the Placentia City Council - however, it was 20, 25 years ago, prior to agendas and votes being digitized, and we struggled to find much in the way of actual voting records without going to the Placentia Library and searching in the microfilm newspaper records - which, unfortunately, we don’t have the bandwidth for. 

Follow the Money: 

Contributed: 

• Lowe gave $250 to Lisa Sparks’ OC Board of Ed 2026 campaign. Sparks is openly antagonistic to LGBTQ+ rights, and has supported reallocating funds from public schools into charter schools. donation source find our Lisa Sparks profile here

• Lowe gave $500 to Dr. Stephen Bean’s OC Board of Ed 2026 campaign. Bean is openly antagonistic to LGBTQ+ rights, and has supported reallocating funds from public schools into charter schools. donation source find info about Stephen Bean here

• Lowe gave $100 to Ryan Balius’ 2024 campaign for Anaheim City Council. Balius was also financially supported by the OC Lincoln Club, a deeply conservative organization. donation source

• Lowe gave $500 to Norma Campos Kurtz’ 2024 campaign for Anaheim City Council. Kurtz was also financially supported by Planned Parenthood, and was endorsed by Planned Parenthood, WAVE, and the OC Dems. donation source

PYLUSD Area 4 Trustee Candidate

Campaign Statement:

“BARBARA ‘BARB’ BUCKLEY | Business Owner

I want to represent you, your student, and our community because it matters. Students matter. Families matter. Educators matter. Community matters. Integrity matters.

I have been a proud resident and dedicated community advocate of Yorba Linda since 1997, and small business owner since 1998. My husband, Jim, and I have been married for over 30 years. Together, we founded Jim Buckley and Associates, an independent insurance

adjusting firm, where I manage budgets, contracts, benefits, payroll, and human resources. We raised our two children through PYLUSD, from Fairmont Elementary to Bernardo Yorba Middle School to Yorba Linda High School. Our daughter Emely is now a kindergarten teacher, and our son Jimmy is an engineer.

For over 15 years, I have served our schools and community as founder of Making a Difference, a nonprofit providing food, school supplies, and financial support to local families in need, as a

board member of Homeless Intervention Services of Orange County and Placentia Yorba Meals on Wheels, and serving through many local organizations such as Love Yorba Linda and Charity’s Closet. My work with PTA units across our district has been recognized

with multiple California State PTA service awards. This hands-on experience has given me a clear understanding of what our students, teachers, and families truly need, and how to get things done for them.

I am running for every student to ensure each child receives an excellent education that prepares them for a successful future. We must come together in support of our students, teachers, and administrators. This is not us versus them. When leadership falls

short, we should make thoughtful changes, but tearing down our educators helps no one; instead, let us be their advocates and partners.

With our district facing declining enrollment and potential budget cuts - while operating at a deficit, fiscal responsibility must be a top priority. Drawing on my business experience, I will

reassess spending and contracts, and will pursue renegotiations and competitive bidding to secure cost-effective solutions, while protecting class sizes and jobs. I am ready to roll up my sleeves and do the hard work required.

In today's climate, we must focus on what is best for our students and community, not on party agendas, sound bites, or culture wars. With your support, experience, integrity, and dedication, I will bring steady, student-first leadership to our school board.

I respectfully ask for your vote.

barbbuckley4pylusd.com”

Email: 

Campaign Website:  https://barbbuckley4pylusd.com/ 

Her website leads with the phrase, “Because… Students Matter. Community Matters. Integrity Matters.”

She also has a section labeled “Sound Bites”, where she further explains small ‘sound bites’ that she’s had on the campaign trail. One of them is titled “Transgender females in women’s Sports”, and leads to a 77 page document that Buckley wrote. She describes this paper, which is set up in an academic, legal manner, in the following manner.  “This paper was prepared as an independent educational resource for school board members, superintendents, administrators, educators, policymakers, parents, and community stakeholders. Its purpose is not to advocate for a particular policy outcome, but to provide an objective, evidence-based overview of the legal, scientific, and governance issues surrounding transgender participation in girls' interscholastic athletics.” The paper (clocking in at over 22,000 words) does not present a stance, but does debunk a significant amount of the anti-trans propaganda that has been present in recent PYLUSD school board meetings, both from incumbent board members and during public comments, just in the nature that it is an academic, evidence-based paper.

You can read it in full here. The chapters of the document are titled as such; “Executive Summary”, “Chapter 1: Guidance for California School Boards and Education Stakeholders”, “Chapter 2: Why Girls’ Athletics Exist: The Development of Womens’ Sports and Title IX”, “Chapter 3: California’s Legal Framework”, “Chapter 4: Federal Law, Title IX, and the Evolving National Legal Landscape”, “Chapter 5: The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF): Governance and Administration of High School Athletics”, “Chapter 6: The Science of Athletic Performance”, “Chapter 7: Student Safety, Privacy, and District Responsibilities”, “Conclusion: Bringing the Issues Together”.
She also provided a similarly academic, although considerably shorter, document on her website, titled, “What are Charter Schools and which ones do we have in PYLUSD?”. You can read her paper on that here in full. 

Buckley’s Priorities listed on her campaign website: 

• Strengthen Fiscal Responsibility

• Put Teaching and Learning First

• Support Our Educators and Staff

• Improve Communication and Transparency

• Expand Student Opportunities Through Community Partnerships

• Better Support Students Experiencing Homelessness

Any Other Interesting Info:

• Supporters of Todd Frazier’s campaign started putting small trans pride flags on her signs in an attempt to redefine her campaign on their own terms. Buckley responded to this by issuing the following statement from her campaign, “Recently, someone added transgender flags to my campaign signs without my authorization. I want to be clear about where I stand: I believe every person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. As a candidate for school board, I believe representation means serving ALL students, ALL families, and ALL members of our community. We may not always agree, but we can always choose respect, kindness, and civility.” source

• In 2012, she founded MAD Women, dba Making a Difference, a local 501c3 nonprofit filled with primarily women volunteers who work to contribute to their community through food drives, meal trains, CPR classes, etc. She is still the president of that nonprofit today. Source

• Barbara has been on the board of the Homeless Intervention Services of Orange County since 2021. source

• Buckley was elected by her peers as one of two parent representatives for the YLHS School Site Council in 2014. source 

• She was awarded with the “Golden Oak” PTSA Honorary Service Award in 2019 in connection with YLHS, and was also a recipient of PYLUSD PTSA Service Awards in 2013, 2015, and 2017. source

• She has professional connections with Nancy Watkins, a public education advocate, former OC Board of Education candidate, and LGBTQ+ ally, through their work together on Buckley’s organization, MAD Women. 

Social Media Links: 

• Personal Instagram (Private)

• Campaign Instagram

• Campaign Facebook

She shared her academic-style paper about trans athletes in school sports on her campaign instagram, with the caption, “What is the school board's responsibility when it comes to Transgender females in women's sports? I've done the deep dive for you. (link provided)” source

Follows on Twitter/Instagram/Facebook:

• The REACH Foundation (Non-profit for student success in PYLUSD)

• Yorba Linda Moms

• Carrie Buck 4 PYLUSD (Buck is an incumbent on the PYLUSD board and has been an ally to marginalized community members)

• Homeless Intervention Services OC

• Nancy Watkins (Watkins is a public education advocate, fmr. Candidate for the OC Board of Ed, and has been an ally to the LGBTQ+ community)

• Friends Church | Orange County (Friends Church, a subsidiary of Friends Southwest, is a progressive Christian denomination descended from the Quakers, albeit more modernized and focused on the evangelism of faith. Not all evangelist sects of Christianity are conservative)

Candidate’s Public Comments:

None Found

Endorsed by: 

Buckley’s endorsements page is currently filled with endorsements from local community members, rather than elected officials and organizations. source 

Candidate in the News:

None Found

Public Voting Record:

Buckley has not served in elected public office, so no public voting record is available.

Follow the Money: 

Buckley has not yet filed her contribution campaign finance filings yet

PYLUSD Area 5 Trustee Candidate

Campaign Statement:

 “JUSTIN AGUIRRE | Parent

It’s time to bring common-sense leadership back!

I’m Justin Aguirre, a lifelong Placentia resident, PYLUSD graduate, and father of three children currently attending our district schools.

For years, I have been actively involved in PYLUSD, advocating for students, parents, and our community. I’m running because I believe our schools must return their focus to what matters most: academic excellence, parental involvement, school safety, and preparing

every student for future success.

I will fight to protect parental rights, protect girls’ sports and spaces, keep inappropriate political ideology out of our classrooms, and ensure parents remain the primary decision-makers in their children’s education. I will demand transparency and fiscal responsibility, prioritize classroom spending, and oppose unnecessary debt and bonds that place additional burdens on taxpayers.

I will work to expand partnerships with our local colleges. However, college is not the only path to success. We must also expand career technical education programs, including skilled trades,

apprenticeships, and other pathways that prepare students to meet workforce demands.

When elected, I’ll be the trustee with children currently attending PYLUSD schools. I’m personally invested in the future of our district and respectfully ask for your vote.

www.JustinAguirreForPYLUSD.com”

Email: None Found

Campaign Website: https://justinaguirreforpylusd.com/ 

Justin’s campaign website has a whole section labeled “Girls’ Sports & Spaces”. This section is a polished description of his experience over the last few years as an anti-trans activist. We will cover more of this further down. 

Under his priorities, his site says, “The Supreme Court has made clear that parents have a fundamental role in directing the upbringing and education of their children.” Based on public comments he’s made at PYLUSD meetings, we believe he is referring to the Supreme Court ‘Mahmoud v. Taylor’. This SCOTUS ruling set the precedent that schools must allow parents/guardians of students to “opt out” of LGBTQ+ inclusive curriculum if that curriculum interferes with their religious beliefs. 

Priorities: 

• Academic Excellence

• Safe Learning Environments

• Fiscal Responsibility

• Parent Trust and Transparency

Any Other Interesting Info:

• Justin has been known to Pride at the Pier for multiple years at this point, as he’s been in attendance at a number of anti-trans rallies hosted by California Family Council, a Focus on the Family associated organization with a 23 year history of anti-LGBTQ+ policy work, including their efforts to; prevent gay marriage from being legalized in California, prevent LGBTQ+ curriculum being available in schools, and most recently, their crown jewel anti-trans propaganda program, “Save Girls Sports”. 

• Justin is known to be associated with a significant number of anti-LGBTQ extremists in Southern California. Some of these are covered in his social media section, but we can confirm that his connections with many of these individuals extends to in-person friendship. 

Social Media Links: 

• Campaign Instagram

• Personal Instagram

Follows on Twitter/Instagram/Facebook:

***This is a very small selection of the accounts he follows from his campaign and personal instagram accounts. The full list is a fairly comprehensive collection of the major election deniers, anti-vaxx, anti-LGBTQ, and anti-public education Christian Nationalists across the spectrum, from local activists to national advocacy organizations.

• Sonja Shaw (PYLUSD president who runs her political career on attacks against the LGBTQ+ community)

• Beth Bourne (anti-LGBTQ extremist who stalks and doxxes trans minors, had a temporary restraining order placed against her by Davis USD because of her harassment of students and faculty)

• Anthony Cabassa (far-right influencer who calls for Franco-style fascism)

• Karen England (book banning activist who is highly active in CA despite living in Nashville, TN)

• Real Impact (political arm of Christian Nationalist church Calvary Chapel)

• Bill Essayli (Assistant Attorney General within the Trump administration with a history of targeting protesters, whose political career was launched through his partnership with Sonja Shaw to push for anti-LGBTQ+ policies in CA)

• Erin Friday (anti-LGBTQ+ activist lawyer with a documented history of transphobic harassment, including against Pride at the Pier director and trans man Kanan Durham)

• Manuk Grigoryan (Leader of Leave Our Kids Alone, an anti-LGBTQ+ hate group in Southern California associated with repeated acts of violence against trans activists)

• PYLUSD Common Sense (anti-LGBTQ account)

• PYL4Choice (anti-LGBTQ account)

• Candy Olson (Redlands USD Trustee, anti-trans activist)

• Jen Wiersma (Temecula Valley USD Trustee, anti-trans activist)

• Sophia Lorey (spokeswoman for California Family Council and loud opponent of LGBTQ+ rights, including gay marriage) 

• Protect Our Kids (CA organization seeking to ban LGBTQ+ and racial educational curriculum)

• California Family Council (CA organization with ties to Focus on the Family, which led the Prop 8 effort to ban gay marriage in 2008 and is currently focused on anti-trans efforts) 

• Madison Miner (Former OUSD Trustee, current chair of Orange County Moms for Liberty)

• Teacher Freedom Alliance (anti-teacher union organization)

• PragerU

• Leandra Blades (PYLUSD Trustee, anti-LGBTQ+ extremist and openly supportive of ICE)

• Corey DeAngelis (Research Fellow with the Heritage Foundation, anti-LGBTQ extremist)

• This is a Woman Podcast (anti-trans extremist podcast hosted by Sophia Lorey)

Candidate’s Public Comments:

• At the May 12, 2026 PYLUSD board meeting, Aguirre said, “Regarding the issue of boys being allowed in the girls bathroom, what we are witnessing in our schools is not simply a policy debate anymore. It is a gradual normalization, a slow acceptance of something many parents, students, and especially young girls know in their hearts is wrong. The girls who have spoken up have learned something painful. They will be ignored. Fathers who have raised their concerns have learned the same lesson, and mothers are being forced into a position where they tell their daughters to avoid their own restrooms and instead use office or staff bathrooms just to feel safe or comfortable. (Current Trustees) Carrie, Marilyn, and Trisha, why are the girls expected to adjust? Why are the girls expected to relocate, stay quiet, or simply get used to it? That is not equality. And for many families, the Pride flag has become a reminder that the rights of one boy are being placed above the privacy concerns of an entire community of girls.” 

  • FACT CHECK: Studies have consistently shown that the existence of laws allowing trans people to use the facilities consistent with their gender have zero impact on the safety of cisgender people, with studies covering the rate of harassment, violent crimes, sexual crimes, etc. Source 

  • FACT CHECK: Studies have consistently shown that transgender people are at much higher rate of victimization in bathrooms and other gender-specific spaces than cisgender people - both cisgender women and cisgender men. Source

  • FACT CHECK: Studies have consistently shown that the rates of violence and harassment faced by transgender people are higher in spaces where laws, policies, and rhetoric push an idea that transgender people make cisgender women and girls less safe. Source

  • FACT CHECK: Studies have consistently shown that the majority of transgender people actively avoid public bathrooms where possible out of fear of violence and harassment, leading to a higher rate of urinary tract infections, kidney infections, and other adverse medical consequences than in the cisgender population. Source

• On the “Girls Sports and Spaces” section of his campaign website, Aguirre says, “I stood with the girls at Esperanza High School when they walked out in protest after a biological male used the girls' restroom. I stood alongside athletes from across California at Yorba Linda High School during a CIF track and field event, and I sat in the bleachers at Valencia High School as the same athlete competed against our Lady Tigers in a CIF volleyball match.” 

  • FACT CHECK: We can confirm that he was in attendance at these events. All three events were coordinated with California Family Council, the anti-LGBTQ+ organization behind both Prop 8 (the 2008 effort to ban gay marriage and the current anti-trans political campaign in CA). All three of these events were targeted at two different transgender minors who were going about their lives in accordance with California law, and who have not committed any acts of harm against their peers. 

• At the October 21, 2025 PYLUSD board meeting, Aguirre spoke from the podium. “Although I regularly attend board meetings, this is my first time to speak. I have been silent too long. I speak tonight to support my oldest child, and only daughter, and every girl across this district who deserves fairness, safety, and respect. Superintendent and board, please protect my daughter when she is in your care. Do not let biological boys invade her bathrooms and locker rooms. Do not ask her to compete against biological boys in sports, as we now see happening at Valencia High School. Please respect my right as a parent to have a voice in my children's education. Thank you for allowing me to speak, I urge other fathers to speak up as well.” 

  • FACT CHECK: There are no trans athletes in Placentia Yorba Linda USD. Aguirre may have been referring to a trans athlete from a different school district that competed against PYLUSD athletes at a sporting event - there are fewer than 5 active trans high school athletes in CA at this time. CA law allows these minors to play on the teams that align with their gender, and school districts do not have the authority to violate that law within their own districts, much less within a different district. 

Endorsed by: 

• Nancy’s Picks - Nancy’s Picks (far-right voter guide in Orange County, whose criteria for endorsement include “PRO-LIFE & PROTECTIONS for the UNBORN”, “PRO-SANCTITY of HETEROSEXUAL MARRIAGE”, “PRO-PARENTAL RIGHTS in EDUCATION”, “PRO-NUCLEAR FAMILY”, “SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL and IT’S RIGHT to EXIST”, “SECURE & SEAL OUR BORDERS”, and more. 

• Reform California - (far-right organization led by Carl DeMaio)

• Madison Miner (Chair, Moms for Liberty’s Orange County Chapter. Her public positions and endorsements are posted at her Instagram social media site madison4oc.  Madison Miner won an Orange Unified school board seat in 2022. Voters recalled her in 2024. The L. A. Times reported that Miner was one of two conservative board members who had spearheaded policies widely opposed by advocates for LGBTQ+ youth in a recall election viewed as a local bellwether for the culture wars in education.)

Candidate in the News: None Found

Public Voting Record: Candidate has not held elected office before, none found

Follow the Money: 

Received: 

• $3,500 from the Lincoln Club of Orange County, an explicitly anti-LGBTQ group

• $10,000 from Linda Cone, a far-right anti-LGBTQ activist

• $100 from Andy Falco Jimenez, far-right Christian Nationalist podcaster and close friend of Leandra Blades

• $500 from Ben Stubbs, connected to Maria Stubbs, who ran unsuccessfully on an anti-LGBTQ platform for PYLUSD in 2024

Donated: 

• Aguirre donated $100 to Maria Stubbs’ PYLUSD campaign in 2024. Stubbs ran openly as a “parental rights” candidate in 2024, and was very clear about her stances in opposition to LGBTQ+ rights. Stubbs did not win that race.

PYLUSD Area 5 Trustee Candidate

Campaign Statement:

“CARRIE BUCK | Governing Board Member, Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District

Public education is about more than reading, writing, and arithmetic. It’s about preparing students to think critically, adapt confidently, and thrive in a rapidly changing world. I will continue to build on PYLUSD’s tradition of excellence while preparing students for tomorrow.

Under my leadership the district has pivoted from wasteful spending to responsible budgeting benefiting all students. I am proud of the progress we are achieving; strengthening

our district’s financial future, building trust through integrity and transparency, advancing academic excellence, strengthening special education, expanding career technical education, athletics, & arts opportunities, and supporting every student.

Our community deserves transparent, accountable governance where every decision is guided by what is best for students.

As the daughter of two special educators, a mother of three PYLUSD graduates, and a nonprofit leader dedicated to ending youth and family homelessness, I understand students’ strengths and challenges. My record reflects a commitment to students, families, community partnerships, fiscal responsibility, and transparent, accountable governance that puts students first.

The choices we make today will shape our students’ futures for years to come. Experience matters, so does a clear vision for the future.

I’m asking for your vote for re-election to the PYLUSD School Board.

www.carriebuck4pylusd.com”

Email: carriebuck4pylusd@gmail.com 

Campaign Website: https://www.carriebuck4pylusd.com/ 

Buck’s campaign slogan, visible at the top of her campaign site, is “Building Stronger Schools. Creating Brighter Futures”. 

Buck lists the accomplishments she’s proud of having achieved during her time as the incumbent in office. She lists: 

• Strengthening Our District’s Financial Future

• Building Trust Through Integrity & Transparency

• Advancing Academic Excellence

• Strengthening Special Education

• Expanding Athletics & Arts Opportunities

• Supporting Every Student

Priorities: 

• Fiscal Responsibility

• Safe Schools

• College and Career Readiness

• Belonging and Access

Any Other Interesting Info:

• Buck is the incumbent in this race, and was first elected to the board in 2010. Source

• Carrie is currently serving on the California Child Nutrition Advisory Council for the State Superintendent of Instruction and as a Housing and Community Development Commissioner for the Orange County Board of Supervisors. Source

• In 2025, AB Hernandez, a SoCal transgender girl and track athlete that has been the subject of targeted hatred from the local extremists to Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and JK Rowling, competed at a track meet in Yorba Linda. Buck was there in attendance, ensuring that security was working to protect all the students, since there had been a significant social media virality about Hernandez being there ahead of the meet itself. While there, she greeted AB’s mother, spending time chatting with her and watching all of the athletes on the field compete. This gesture has made Buck the target of ire from some individuals within the PYLUSD coverage area who felt that her friendliness towards the mother of a trans athlete ran counter to their own opposition to trans athletes being able to play K-12 public school sports. Leandra Blades’, one of Buck’s fellow incumbents on the PYLUSD board, has expressed her disapproval of this repeatedly. Source - content warning for transphobia

• You can find Buck’s candidate statement for her successful 2022 campaign here. 

• Carrie serves as the Executive Director for the Family Solutions Collaborative, a nonprofit connected to United Way that works to aid families struggling with housing insecurity and homelessness. Prior to this role, Bucked served as the Executive Director of Homeless Intervention Services of Orange County. Source

Social Media Links: 

• Linkedin

• Campaign Instagram

• Personal Instagram 

• Campaign Facebook

On her campaign instagram in 2025, she published a post for Pride Month with the traditional Pride Flag and the words, “Say No to Hate / Celebrate Pride Month / Stick with Love” Source

Follows on Twitter/Instagram/Facebook:

• Contemporary Policy Institute (a 501c3 pro-public education organization that promotes a framework of secular, fact-based public policy, based in Anaheim)

• Allyson Muñiz Damikolas (Tustin USD Trustee, public voting record of LGBTQ allyship)

• Orange County Young Democrats

• Natalie Moser (Fmr. HB City Councilwoman, Exec. Director of Robyn’s Nest, non-profit serving youth experiencing housing insecurity, public voting record of LGBTQ allyship)

• Voices for PYLUSD (Pro-LGBTQ+ account, supportive of student engagement, ethnic studies, lgbtq inclusion, and anti-bullying)

• Spotlight Schools (Local journalism source for TK-12 schools in Orange County)

• Nancy Watkins (Fmr. Candidate for OC Board of Education, Public Education Advocate, LGBTQ+ ally)

• Public School Defenders Hub (Non-profit coalition seeking to keep public education accessible and accountable)

• Christina Gagnier (Candidate for San Bernardino County Supervisor, co-founder of Our Schools USA) 

• Placentia Library

• Andrea Yamasaki (Orange USD Trustee, public voting record of LGBTQ allyship)

• Todd Spitzer (Orange County District Attorney)

• Hollywood Climate Summit

Candidate’s Public Comments:

• On her campaign website, Buck says, “A sense of belonging leads to better academic outcomes, which is why I support ALL students and have worked to expand athletic & arts opportunities, increase preschool & after school programs, and expanded support through a second family resource center.” Emphasis on “ALL” is hers. 

• During an April 2022 PYLUSD meeting, Buck was a dissenting vote, in opposition to banning critical race theory in district curriculum. She said, “Curriculum development belongs in the hands of our educators…This (ban) is being done to fit an agenda and not wanted by the majority of our community, parents, teachers and most importantly, as you’ve seen tonight, our students.” Her vote was in the minority, and Critical Race Theory has been banned in PYLUSD schools since 2022, with unclear parameters of what qualifies as CRT. Source

• In October 2023, the PYLUSD board passed a watered down forced outing policy. Buck voted in opposition, saying, “We’re doing this right after all of these other districts are doing it. I think it’s all tied to the other policies, which is why it sounds political.” For transparency’s sake, this was also the stance that Pride at the Pier took in our public opposition to the policy. Source 

Endorsed by: 

• Association of Placentia Linda Educators

• Orange County Labor Federation

• California School Employees Association, Chapter 293

• Women for American Values and Ethics

• Marilyn Anderson, PYLUSD School Board Trustee

• Kris Erickson, Orange Unified School Board Trustee

• Lauren Klatzer, Fullerton Elementary School Board Trustee

• Carol Downey, Former PYLUSD Board Trustee and Former Mayor of Placentia

• Tricia Quintero, PYLUSD Board Vice President and Teacher

• Carrie Flanders, Brea-Olinda School Board President

• Deana Miller, NOCROP and Brea-Olinda Unified School Board Vice President

• Richard Barrera, Candidate for State Superintendent of California

• Lauren Brooks, Irvine Unified School Board President

• Andrea Yamasaki, Orange Unified Board Trustee

• Katie McEwen, Irvine Unified School Board Trustee

• Sara Pelly, Orange Unified School Board Clerk

Candidate in the News:

• (Voice of OC) “An OC School District Adopts New Parent Alert Policy; Will it Impact LGBTQ+ Students?”

• (Voice of OC) “Placentia-Yorba Linda School Trustees Narrowly Ban Critical Race Theory”

• (OC Register) “Placentia-Yorba Linda School Board settles Orange County DA’s requests over potential Brown Act violations”

• (The LAist) “The 'Parental Rights' Movement Has Its Sights On This OC School Board”

Public Voting Record:

• On February 10, 2026, PYLUSD Trustee Leandra Blades introduced a resolution asking the district to explicitly affirm support for federal immigration officers alongside local law enforcement, and to state that staff should not obstruct ICE on campuses. As this was in the immediate aftermath of PYLUSD student-led walkouts in protest of ICE activity and the targeting of a PYLUSD student by ICE, there was significant backlash from the community. Buck, along with Trustees Quintero and Anderson, voted in the majority to change the language to express support specifically for law enforcement officers who work in PYLUSD schools (i.e. Resource Officers). Source Source Source 

• In April of 2022, PYLUSD voted to ban critical race theory in the district’s curriculum. Buck was one of the dissenting votes, calling the ban politically motivated censorship. Source  

Follow the Money: 

• $1,456.67 from Association of Placentia Linda Educators (APLE CBS)

• $10,659.52 from Association of Placentia Linda Educators (APLE CBS) for signs

• $1,000 from Women for American Values and Ethics (WAVE)

• $100 from Kristin Erickson, Orange USD Trustee with a voting record of LGBTQ allyship

• $200 from Marilyn Anderson, current PYLUSD Trustee