Ineligible Candidate For TC Superintendent Of Schools Race Speaks Out

Tuolumne County Superintendent Of Schools Office logo

Sonora, CA – Zachary Abernathy, who had to withdraw from the Tuolumne County Superintendent of Schools race due to not meeting all the qualifications, has issued a statement to the public regarding that decision.

Abernathy was the sole challenger to the incumbent, Cathy Parker for the position. As earlier reported here, the post requires an administrative service credential, and it was unclear whether he had all the qualifications needed for that credential. Yesterday, he withdrew his candidacy so he will not appear on the June election ballot.

Here is Abernathy’s statement to the public:

“I would first like to thank the citizens of this great community for supporting me in my decision to run for Tuolumne County Superintendent of Schools.  I decided to run because I think I can make a difference and in a position like this sometimes a fresh set of eyes can make an even bigger difference.

Unfortunately, I have decided at this time to no longer proceed with my candidacy for Tuolumne County Superintendent of Schools. Initially, I believed I met the candidacy qualifications, but I needed to file an additional document to finalize my Administrative Credential. I couldn’t do this within the required election candidacy timeframes and this required the Registrar of Voters to remove my name from the ballot. I appreciate the Registrar of Voters office staff and Deborah Bautista’s diligence and efforts in reviewing my unique circumstances as the requirements for this position can be somewhat unclear and vague.

Although I am no longer on the ballot for this election, I am very excited about the future. I plan to finalize my administrative credentials to pursue future options that allow me to continue my desire to impact the schools and youth in our community. It is my hope that the youth of Tuolumne County can flourish in the schools county wide. I pledge to continue my efforts to ensure that happens.”

 

Zack Abernathy