The Fremont and New Haven school board races ended similarly, with both incumbents being re-elected and a second seat going to the candidate who spent the most money campaigning in each contest.

Fremont voters elected political newcomer Lara York, who led the pack with 28.5 percent of the vote, and incumbent Larry Sweeney, who had 27.6 percent.

Jonathan Simon had 14.8 percent, Hiu Ng 12.7 percent, David Richards 8.2 percent and Ray Bilodeau 7.9 percent.

Like Fremont, the New Haven school board had two open seats and six names on the ballot.

Incumbent Gwen Estes easily sailed into a fourth term, with 25.1 percent of the vote, while first-time candidate Gertrude Gregorio claimed the second seat with 24.6 percent.

Sarabjit Cheema had

14.8 percent, Anne Williams 14.1 percent, Phil Crosby

13.2 percent and Atul Mitra nearly 8 percent.

In the Fremont race, York — best known for her work with the Fremont Education Foundation — had more support from current school board members than any other candidate did. She will take over the seat of Trustee Bryan Gebhardt, who was appointed after Guy Emanuele retired in January.

To prepare herself for her role as a trustee, York said, she will meet with the superintendent, employee groups and other district staff members in the coming weeks. "The campaign process can be tiring and long, but ... the real work begins after this. Serving as a school board member is something I don't take lightly," she said.

Unlike four years ago, Sweeney, the lone incumbent and the only candidate to be endorsed by the teachers union, did not raise a dime this election.

"We spent a lot of our time going out and trying to re-energize those people who had voted for us last time," he said.

Simon, Ng and Bilodeau said they are considering running again, but Richards said his political days are over. None expressed strong surprise regarding the results.

Meanwhile, in the neighboring district, Estes had the strongest approval rating, garnering the most votes in the New Haven race.

"Thank you to all of you who made it possible for me to be re-elected for a fourth-and-final term to the New Haven Unified School District Board of Education. May God continue to bless each and every one of you," Estes said on her voice mail Wednesday.

Gregorio, a dean at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills who said she has seen too many students enter college unprepared, decided to run after learning that only about half of New Haven students are proficient in mathematics and English.

The 21-year Union City resident said she felt a calling to help her community, though she has no children in the district. She says both her sons attend Moreau Catholic High School in Hayward for religious reasons.

"I'm so grateful that the voters didn't make that an issue, because it shouldn't be," she said.

Aided by a $10,530 loan from her husband, Gregorio had accumulated nearly $20,300 in expenses and had outspent all of her opponents by the third week of October.

One opponent, Cheema, had said that a bloc of Filipino voters helped get Gregorio elected.

"I'm sure being a Filipino did not hurt, but ... I cannot say we concentrated on the Filipino (voters)," Gregorio said. "I would hope I had gotten (support from) a cross section of the community."

Cheema, who helped draft the district's strategic plan, said she was somewhat surprised that Gregorio had won the second seat but that the latter has good qualifications.

"I will continue to work hard, and I will improve myself. People will notice it in the coming two years as I become more visible," said Cheema, who plans to seek office in 2008.

Crosby, a member of the New Haven Schools Foundation's executive committee, said he has no specific plans to run again.

The fact that Estes and Williams — the two who came out most strongly against school closures — together had the support of nearly 40 percent of the electorate indicates that many in the community still are upset with the district's decision to close campuses, he said.

Now, it will be up to the district to implement the school closures as effectively as possible, he added.

Mitra placed fifth out of five candidates two years ago and also finished last this week. He did not return a call seeking comment.

With no challengers in New-park, school board members Charlie Mensinger and Nancy Thomas automatically retained their seats.

Elected school board members are expected to take office next month.