NVUSD Trustees Lead Races as Jones Challenges Thompson in District 4

Napa Valley voters and business owners tracked pivotal school board tallies, a closely watched congressional contest shaped by new district boundaries, and bespoke hospitality growth across Wine Country this week.

Incumbents Jankiewicz and Gonzalez-Mares Join Newcomer Hildebrandt in Leading NVUSD Races

According to unofficial results released on November 10, 2026, by the Napa County Election Division and reported by the Napa Valley Register, two incumbents and one newcomer hold comfortable leads of more than 10% to 25% in races for the Napa Valley Unified School District (NVUSD) board of education. In Area 1—covering northeast Napa, Vintage High School, and Vichy—incumbent Robin Jankiewicz leads with 3,331 votes (64.4%) to 1,843 votes (35.6%) for challenger Matthew McMann. Jankiewicz highlighted balancing enrollment declines with fiscal management alongside standardized test gains and voters' 2024 approval of Measure B, a $230 million campus improvement bond.

In west Napa's Area 6, which includes the Bel Aire Park, Pueblo Vista, and West Park campuses, trustee Elba Gonzalez-Mares—first elected in 2016 and slated to serve her second stint as board president in 2027—leads with 2,363 votes (62.6%) to 1,410 votes (37.4%) for challenger Tyrone Navarro. In Area 7, covering northwest and rural western Napa to succeed former trustee Julianna Villegas Hart following her June removal, technology professional David Hildebrandt leads the four-way contest with 1,662 votes (41.9%), ahead of Jason Dooley with 1,242 votes (31.3%), John Houser with 733 votes (18.5%), and Gabriel Champagne Affonso with 327 votes (8.2%). Hildebrandt campaigned on expanding career technical education, AI investments, student privacy, and restricting campus smartphone use.

Eric Jones Holds 51.6% Lead Over Rep. Mike Thompson in Redrawn 4th District

In federal ballot counts reported by Patch Napa Valley, challenger Eric Jones holds 51.6% of the vote to 48% for 14-term Democratic incumbent Representative Mike Thompson in California's newly redrawn 4th Congressional District. Approved by voters in November 2025, the redrawn boundaries connect Napa, Sonoma, and Yolo counties with six eastern and northern counties—Colusa, Lake, Placer, Sacramento, Sutter, and Yuba—where 2020 Census figures show roughly half of residents are non-Hispanic white, nearly one-third are Latino, and 9% are Asian.

While St. Helena native Thompson carried Napa, Sonoma, and Yolo counties, Maine native Jones campaigned heavily in Sutter and Yuba counties and self-funded most of his campaign, raising $18 million and spending $16.5 million as of October 14 compared with Thompson's $5.5 million in fundraising. Thompson, the top Democrat on the Ways and Means Tax Subcommittee, helped pass bipartisan disaster tax relief in September 2026, recovered $115 million owed to constituents since 2016, secured $1.38 million for Napa County fuel reduction, and backed Sonoma County's recovery of $2.6 million from the 2019 Kincade Fire. Jones pledged a maximum of 3 terms (12 years), while Thompson campaign manager Thomas Dowling noted support from more than 250 local officials and volunteers as remaining ballots are counted.

Nadia Nima Marks 2.5 Years Running NIMA BLACK Chauffeur and Concierge Service

In local enterprise news, the Napa Valley Register profiled Nadia Nima, who has owned and operated the Napa Valley chauffeur and concierge firm NIMA BLACK for 2.5 years (two and a half years). Serving Napa, Sonoma, and the broader Bay Area, NIMA BLACK arranges private transportation, airport pickups, winery visits, private dinners, and customized full-stay itineraries.

Before relocating to Napa Valley in 2024 to advance her wine education and expand her stemware brand AugustSeptember, Nima launched her first e-commerce venture in Alameda and spent more than 15 years in photography, design, and creative direction. She cited the service precision of Cheval Blanc Maisons as an inspiration, highlighted The Father's House in Napa Valley as her favorite local nonprofit, and encouraged stronger introductions between Napa Valley's established hotels and wineries and its independent entrepreneurs.