In the first election for Selma City School Board members, all four races will be contested in runoffs Dec. 6.

The candidates participating in the runoff are: District 1, Holland Powell and Roderick West; District 2, Kimesha “Sunshine” Alvarado and Brenda Randolph-Obomanu; District 3, Frank Chestnut and Margaret Hardy; District 4, Debra Reeves-Howard and Udo Ufomadu.

The candidates from all districts campaigned for weeks prior to the election.

“I see why they call it the analogy of a race,” said Chestnut, District 3 runoff candidate. Now with a runoff for all districts, campaign time has lengthened.

“I think this tests you to see how badly you want the job,” Chestnut said.

At the beginning of his campaign, Chestnut felt comfortable talking with the community.

“I felt like everything was a natural stride,” Chestnut said.

Now he plans to rest and then continue planning the next phase of his campaign.

“I want to continue to say that my vision is better schools for a better community,” Chestnut said.

Kimesha ‘Sunshine’ Alvarado, District 2 runoff candidate, is ready to start planning her campaign.

“I’m excited that I made it to the runoff,” “Alvarado said.

Although her child is due in a few weeks, Alvarado plans to balance her pregnancy and her campaign.

Voters were slow to make it to the polls, but by closing time 3,734 people voted, which is 24.25 percent of the total registered voters.

“Looks like a lot of people turned out for the bond issue and the school board,” said Holland Powell, District 1 runoff candidate. “It is good to see people care enough to come out and vote on a rainy day.”

Powell also plans to continue campaigning for the next few weeks.

“We’re going to work hard on the run-off and I hope to see the people come out,” Powell said.

Winners from the runoff will then comprise the new five-person school board, consisting of one member from each district and one president at-large.

School Board District 1 will be composed of city Wards 1 and 2, District 2 will be composed of city Wards 4 and 5, School Board District 3 will be composed of city Wards 3 and 8 and School Board District 4 will be composed of Wards 6 and 7.