Barbara Gudwin's eyes turned watery and red Tuesday night at the Santa Fe County Administration Building as she looked at preliminary school-board election results.

Gudwin, a longtime Santa Fe resident who's worked on various nonprofit boards over the last 25 years, was one of two challengers to Martin Lujan, assistant manager of the city's Genoveva Chavez Community Center, who has served two terms and is the board's current president. Sergio Rodriguez-Romo was the other.

Gudwin thought her race with Lujan would be a tight. So when she saw that she won the contest by an almost 2-1 majority, she looked genuinely surprised.

"I am just thrilled," Gudwin said. "I just want to thank everybody that supported me."

Gudwin received 819 votes to Lujan's 445 and Rodriguez-Romo's 109, according to unofficial results. Lujan's ouster from the school board comes less than a year after his failed bid for a City Council seat.

The other incumbent on Tuesday's ballot, Frank Montaño, on the other hand, was on edge as the totals came in. As poll workers returned with totals, Montaño's lead over challenger Peter Brill grew slowly, until he was ahead by 50 votes with one polling place missing.

It was Turquoise Trail Charter School. Montaño, a tour-company operator who served three terms on the Santa Fe City Council, had already checked those polls and knew Brill got 40 more votes than he did. By Montaño's count, he was ahead by 10 votes.

When workers came in with the final polling place, Montaño was right. He was ahead, 549 to 539. But with eight provisional ballots not counted and no final canvass until Friday, Montaño was not ready to say he won. "It looks good, but I'm going to wait until Friday," he said.

Brill, a construction-company owner who had not run for public office before, said the election was a "teaching moment" for him and his children. "It's a disappointment, certainly, to come so close and not succeed," Brill said. He also said he was disappointed that so few people voted in the election.

Superintendent Bobbie Gutierrez and Deputy Superintendent Mel Morgan were also at the county building Tuesday to hear results of a $160 million bond issue and a 1.5 mill levy issue. Voters overwhelmingly approved both.

Because of the recent economic downtown, Gutierrez said she was concerned that voters might decide to vote against the bond, which does not increase taxes but instead continues an existing one.

District officials plan to use the money for a number of projects, including adding classrooms to overcrowded schools and doing work at El Dorado and Gonzales community schools, both of which are changing from K-6 schools to K-8 schools.

Contact John Sena at 986-3079 or jsena@sfnewmexican.com.

Santa Fe Public Schools Election

Unofficial results

District 3 board seat

Barbara Gudwin 819 (60%)

Martin Lujan (i) 445 (32%)

Sergio Rodriguez-Romo 109(8%)

District 5 board seat

Frank Montaño (i) 549 (50.5%)

Peter Brill 539 (49.5%)



With 63 of 67 precincts reporting:

Bond issue

For 3,831 (80%)

Against 934 (20%)

Mill Levy

For 3,520 (75%)

Against 1,181 (25%)