UPDATE: Pinal County Schools Office has corrected a Maricopa Unified School District Governing Board position up for election, making it a four-year term and no Pinal County Schools Office appointment necessary. The county schools office incorrectly posted on its website that the position was for a two-year term. In addition, no appointment for the seat now held by Carolyn Lopez is necessary, the county schools office now states.
Four Maricopa Unified School District Governing Board candidates seek three seats on the board.
One candidate who filed a statement of interest with the Pinal County Schools Office, Tracie Armstead-Payton, but did not file the signatures needed to get on the ballot.
The remaining candidates to file for the three four-year openings on the MUSD board are incumbent appointee Carolyn Lopez, Ben Owens, Shawnte’ Rothschild and Nicolas Yendrzeski.
The two four-year seats are vacated by longtime board members AnnaMarie Knorr and Torri Anderson.
Pinal County Schools Office records show Rothschild filed 288 signatures, Lopez filed 262 signatures, Owens filed 253 and Yendrzeski filed 255.
The required number of valid registered-voter signatures is 235.
![Western Pinal Justice of the Peace Patricia Glover speaks during a City of Maricopa Republican Club on May 23, 2026. [Monica D. Spencer]](https://inmaricopa.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260529-spencer-teeple-republican-club-1-4-300x200.jpg)
