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George McKenna, a former LA Unified administrator, has become the first of thirteen school board candidates vying in the special election for the District 1 seat to submit a nominating petition.

The Los Angeles City Clerk’s office requires at least 500 signatures to qualify for a position on the ballot. The filing period, which began on February 18 ends on March 7.

The special election to fill the South Los Angeles seat left open by the recent death of Marguerite LaMotte is scheduled for June 3.

At one time, McKenna had the support of both US Representatives Maxine Waters and Karen Bass.  But that was earlier this year, when it looked like filling the seat by an appointment was a possibility. Since then, the school board voted to hold a special election, and yesterday another candidate, Genethia Hudley-Hayes, who lost to LaMotte in a school board race more than ten years ago, announced that Karen Bass would support her instead.