In the race to replace retiring incumbent Orange Unified School District Trustee Wes Poutsma features three candidates - all of whom are Democrats.  Incumbent Trustee Melissa Taylor Smith is making a safe run at Poustma's seat; if she loses, she keeps her current seat until 2010, but if she wins, she gets Poutsma's seat until 2012 and the board selects the replacement for her old seat.

Smith's strongest challenger is labor lawyer Florice Hoffman, whose previous claim to fame was being the 2006 Democratic nominee against Congressman Ed Royce (R-40).  Almost 2/3 of OUSD voters also live in the 40th Congressional District.  Royce crushed Hoffman in the OUSD portion of CD40, winning 25,252 votes to 9,811, with another 980 votes going to Libertarian Philip Inman.  Royce's 70% in OUSD ran ahead of his districtwide percentage while Hoffman's 27% in OUSD ran behind districtwide percentage.

Also running, in a desparate for any political office move, is Jerry Winant, who was defeated just last month in his attempt to unseat Orange County Board of Education Trustee Ken Williams, who handily won reelection.  Winant needs to make up his mind what he wants to run for because he's going to be a two-time loser in just the year 2008 alone.