Election No Longer a Tossup

The coin landed heads, which means Ed Casanova wins a seat on the West Covina school board.

Both George Fuller and Casanova received 1,105 votes in the Nov. 4 school board election, forcing Wednesday’s tiebreaker.

Both men stared intently at the coin as it floated upward and fell to the ground.

“I stared pretty hard,” Casanova said. “I think I may have burned a whole through it.”

There was a light atmosphere as the candidates and supporters gathered at school board headquarters. One person shouted, “There’s democracy at its best!” But the room went silent when the toss took place.

No candidate screamed out “heads” or tails. Before the flip, Steve Fish, the school superintendent, chose for the candidates in a system involving four unmarked envelopes. Upon winning the seat, Casanova said he is relieved that the election is over so that he can enjoy Thanksgiving dinner.

“This whole thing is just a blur right now. It will probably sink in, in about 20 minutes,” Casanova said.

The election tie was a first in the West Covina Unified School District, said board President Mike Spence.

For his first act as a member of the board, Casanova promised to work “for the benefit of the children of West Covina,” and with Fuller. The men have scheduled a meeting for Monday evening to talk about possible directions for the board.

“It is disappointing to get so close and then lose in a coin toss,” Fuller said, adding that he has not made a decision on whether to call for a recount. He holds that option, but must request it by Monday. If he does seek a recount, it will cost him $1,600 for each day of work the city performs.