DAVIS, Calif. — Beth Bourne, a longtime and controversial figure in Davis school politics, has pulled nomination papers to run for the Davis Joint Unified School District Board of Education in Trustee Area 4, setting up what could become one of the most closely watched local races on the November ballot.
Candidate filing for the Nov. 3, 2026, election opened Monday and runs through Aug. 7. According to the Yolo County Elections Office, Bourne took out nomination papers on July 13 to challenge Area 4 Trustee Elizabeth Moon, whose current four-year term expires in December. As of Tuesday, Moon had not filed nomination papers and has not publicly announced whether she intends to seek reelection.
Bourne’s candidacy follows several years of highly public disputes with DJUSD over the district’s policies involving LGBTQ+ students, parental rights and campus access. She emerged as one of the leading local opponents of the district’s gender identity policies and became a prominent voice in statewide conservative education debates.
Most recently, Bourne was featured in a June 30 New York Post article about California’s new requirement that public schools provide at least one all-gender restroom by July 1. In that article, she criticized the law and argued it would negatively affect students who object to sharing facilities with transgender classmates.
Her decision to seek elected office also comes just weeks after the district formally notified her that she was no longer permitted on district property except as authorized.
In a June 12 letter, district officials wrote: “As you no longer have a student attending DJUSD schools, you do not have a legitimate reason to be on District property or to attend District events. The District will be pursuing all legal remedies available to prevent such behavior, including criminal prosecution.”
The letter represents the latest development in a contentious relationship between Bourne and the district that dates back several years.
In 2023, DJUSD sought a workplace violence restraining order against Bourne after district officials raised concerns over social media posts they believed targeted employees. The district later voluntarily dismissed its request for a permanent injunction, while Bourne maintained she had been exercising her First Amendment rights.
Bourne has also served as a local leader of Moms for Liberty and has regularly organized opposition to district policies concerning transgender students, curriculum and school governance. Her activism has made her one of the most recognizable figures in Davis education politics and a frequent participant at board meetings over the past several years.
If she qualifies for the ballot, the race would likely provide voters with a stark philosophical contrast.
Moon, first elected in 2022 as the inaugural trustee representing Area 4 following the district’s transition to by-trustee elections, has generally supported the board’s current direction on issues including student inclusion, technology policy and district governance. She currently serves on the five-member board alongside President Hiram Jackson, Vice President Lea Darrah, Trustee Joe DiNunzio and Trustee Cecilia Escamilla Greenwald.
The opening of candidate filing also produced activity in Trustee Area 1.
Dorte Jensen pulled nomination papers Monday to seek the Area 1 seat currently held by Board President Hiram Jackson. Jensen has been aligned politically with Bourne on several district issues and has appeared alongside her during recent school policy debates.
Jackson has previously indicated he does not intend to seek reelection, leaving the Area 1 contest open. Colleen Zern has already filed nomination papers and a declaration of candidacy for the seat, making Area 1 the first contested race to emerge during the opening days of filing.
In Trustee Area 3, incumbent Joe DiNunzio has both pulled nomination papers and filed his declaration of candidacy, making him the only current board member to formally enter the race so far. As of Tuesday, no challenger had filed for that seat.
Three of the board’s five trustee areas — Areas 1, 3 and 4 — will appear on the November ballot.
The filing period remains open through Aug. 7. If an incumbent eligible for reelection does not file by that deadline, the filing period for that office will be extended for non-incumbent candidates under California election law.
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Jensen will lose.