Pamela Ford, a classified union leader at Antelope Valley College, is challenging incumbent Barbara Gaines for a seat on the college district's governing board in the Nov. 3, 2026 election.
The nonpartisan contest is for Trustee Area 5 on the Antelope Valley Community College District Governing Board, according to Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder records and the Antelope Valley Press. Ford and Gaines are the only two candidates listed for the seat.
Candidate information
- Name: Pamela Ford
- Party: Nonpartisan
- Office sought: Antelope Valley Community College District Governing Board, Trustee Area 5
- Election date: Nov. 3, 2026
- Residence: Lancaster, CA
- Opponent: Barbara Gaines (incumbent, nonpartisan)
Experience and public service
Ford's background spans both staff work and union leadership at Antelope Valley College.
She serves as president of the Antelope Valley College Federation of Classified Employees, Local 4683, according to her candidate filing with the LA County Registrar. The classified employees' federation is a union representing non-teaching staff at the college.
Ford represented the federation at the California Federation of Teachers convention in March 2025, according to the AVCFT union newsletter. She has also served in shared governance at the college. The College Coordinating Council's Feb. 28, 2024 meeting agenda lists Ford as a classified union representative on that body.
Ford said she works as a CalWORKs Program Coordinator at Antelope Valley College, according to her remarks at the AVC Board of Trustees meeting on Sept. 9, 2024. CalWORKs is a state program providing cash aid to eligible families.
Her union and governance roles give Ford direct experience with college operations and labor issues. That record forms the basis of her challenge to Gaines.
No policy positions, endorsements or candidate questionnaire responses were available for this profile. This article will be updated if additional information becomes available.
