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Schools

Andy Licht Drops Out of School Board Race

The candidate's departure Wednesday leaves three people vying for three seats in the Nov. 8 election.

Andy Licht on Wednesday dropped out of the race for a seat on the Beverly Hills Board of Education. The surprise announcement leaves three candidates for three seats in the Nov. 8 election.

Licht, who serves on the Traffic and Parking Commission, held his  Sunday. He said the event made him re-evaluate his candidacy.

“During the Sunday kickoff party, I looked out on the sea of friends and supporters and realized that I needed to be there 100 percent for them, as they are for me,” Licht said in a statement. “I did not fully anticipate the enormous commitment the campaign and the board seat requires. ... Therefore, to go forward would be a breach of trust.” 

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Licht told Patch that it is too late to take his name off the ballot and that he will resign if he wins because residents are unaware that he has dropped out. Should that occur, the board would probably appoint a successor.

“I am not pulling out because I thought I couldn’t win, but because I realized I can’t make a 100 percent commitment,” he said, adding that he intends to immediately refund the campaign contributions he has received.

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Licht had the endorsement of Mayor Barry Brucker, Vice Mayor Willie Brien and the Beverly Hills Education Association, the main teachers’ union.

The deadline has already passed for candidates to file election papers with the Los Angeles County Registrar’s office. However, a write-in candidate could theoretically win.

Licht is the second candidate to drop out of the race for a seat on the Board of Education. , a parent of two Beverly Hills Unified School District students and a member of the BHUSD's Facilities Advisory Committee, dropped out last month. Like Licht, Bean also cited the commitment involved in serving on the school board.

School board members are unpaid. They meet several times a month in open and closed sessions.

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