San Diego school board president Richard Barrera elected California superintendent

Richard Barrera, who leads the San Diego Unified School Board, has been elected California's next Superintendent of Public Instruction, according to AP projections reported by CBS News Bay Area.

Barrera defeated Republican Sonja Shaw, president of the Chino Valley Unified School Board, to succeed Tony Thurmond, who is term-limited and could not run again.

During his tenure, Barrera oversaw California's second largest school district, serving over 121,000 students, and highlighted improvements in reading, math, graduation rates, and college readiness in San Diego.

Barrera received endorsements from outgoing Superintendent Tony Thurmond, the California Teachers Association, California Federation of Teachers, and California School Employees Association.

Shaw, who conceded the race, was endorsed by Republican gubernatorial nominee Steve Hilton, the state Republican Party, and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, and had been involved in controversies over transgender student policies.

The Superintendent of Public Instruction is an independently elected, nonpartisan position that represents public interest in governing California's educational systems and serves as a voting member on related boards.