Sonja Shaw and Richard Barrera are moving forward in the run-off for superintendent of public schools

The November hearings for the public school superintendent will pit two school board presidents — one a pro-union liberal and the other a pro-Trump civil rights activist — against each other.

Republican Sonja Shaw finished in first place in this week's primary with 24.5% of the vote counted through June 4. Democrat Richard Barrera had 19.3%.

Shaw's margin appears comfortable even with most votes to be counted, with Barrera firmly in the runoff. Wendy Castaneda Leal, who received the third vote, was 10 percent behind.

Race creates a stark contrast between the candidates and their vision of California schools.

Although Shaw, 43, has not addressed Trump's immigration policies in relation to the school, he supports Trump's education agenda, including banning immigrant athletes from women's and girls' sports and notifying parents when a child expresses gender identity issues at school.

Under Shaw's leadership, the school board in Chino Valley Unified, located in San Bernardino County, also approved a policy that allows parents to challenge books in school libraries.

Barrera, 59, is president of the board of San Diego Unified, the state's second-largest school system. He is a union official who has had strong ties to the teachers union during his long tenure on the board.

That history helped him win the endorsement of the California Teachers Assn., which poured nearly $5 million into an independent campaign on his behalf.

Barrera admits that this support made the difference in his leap ahead of other Democratic candidates.

Shaw framed his campaign as an attempt to mobilize the masses against the failed and self-interested establishment.

“I did not enter this race because I am a politician,” Shaw said in a statement. “I got into it because I am a mother who sees many families being neglected, many classrooms lagging behind, and many elected officials unwilling to stand up for our children.

Barrera said he is ready to focus on helping students learn more effectively.

“We're seeing examples of schools that are delivering,” Barrera said. “The answers are all around us. Our challenge as a state is to learn from teachers in the local community about what defeats this situation and then take those methods into consideration.”

Barrera talks about the Trump administration's “attack” on immigrant families: “I will resist this attack.”

Barrera, who is a senior adviser to outgoing district Superintendent Tony Thurmond, praises his boss' record.

Shaw, in contrast, once fired Thurmond at a local school board meeting.

Lance Christensen, a conservative education analyst who ran for office four years ago against Thurmond, is ready for an aggressive “nuclear-powered” campaign.

“Sonja Shaw succeeded at the grassroots level as an unabashed advocate for parents' rights while successfully running her local school district,” Christensen said.

“If Shaw were to face a political uproar that would cost him tens of millions of dollars from the entrenched left,” he added, “he would have an even bigger bully pulpit to shame the people in charge who have made California's education system the laughing stock of the nation.”

Veteran Democratic political consultant Larry Levine predicted that, in November, Democrats will rally around Barrera just as Republicans did around Shaw in the first place — potentially leading to a different finish in November.

“He consolidated the Republican vote and the Democrats spread like butter on warm bread,” Levine said. “It will be a very different story overall. The CTA will raise money to make sure that candidate wins.”

One of the Democrats behind it – former state Assemblyman Anthony Rendon – has already endorsed Barrera.

Rendon said Barrera “is qualified, she shares my values, and she has spent her career fighting for public education. She is the candidate who will stand up to and defeat the dangerous, extremist views of Sonja Shaw.”

The state superintendent has limited authority over school districts, which are locally managed. The office manager in his capacity manages the California Department of Education. This agency oversees local school districts and provides limited oversight. The superintendent of the state also tends to use the pulpit of bullies in matters of education.

The office has an uncertain future because Gov. Gavin Newsom is pushing a proposal to rethink the office and redistribute some of its duties.