Who’s Running for Montgomery School Board?

By Barbara A. Preston for The Montgomery News | July 30, 2026

The terms of the following Montgomery School Board representatives will expire in December: Christina Harris, Vanita Nargund, and Victoria “Cookie” Franco-Herman.

Montgomery High School

As of the July 27 deadline at 4 pm, nine people had filed petitions with the Somerset County Board of Elections to run for the board. Harris, who has served on the board since February 2019, was the only incumbent to file.

Incumbent Victoria “Cookie” Franco-Herman will not seek a third term on the board.

Cookie Franco-Herman

Franco-Herman informed The Montgomery News on July 26 that she will not be running for re-election.

“After serving for six years, it is time for me to step away to focus on other work,” she said. “Also, my professional responsibilities have increased, and that is currently my priority.

“Moving forward, I am looking to pursue other volunteer opportunities where I have been invited to share my expertise.”

Incumbent Vanita Nargund will not seek reelection to the board.

Vanita Nargund

Nargund told The Montgomery News on July 28 that she has decided not to run for re-election.

“Serving on the school board over the past two years has been an honor... I am grateful for the support, collaboration, and friendships I have gained along the way.

“Strong schools thrive on new ideas, fresh perspectives, and community involvement. As one chapter gradually comes to a close, another begins, and I look forward to seeing new leaders help our district reach even greater heights in academics, athletics, and the arts beginning in 2027.”

Nargund was selected in May 2024 from among 20 candidates for a five-month interim position on the board. She ran unopposed for a two-year term in November 2024 and was elected.

Kara Alaimo

Karen Anderson

Nick Barot

Christina Harris

Sharon Marro

John Sangiovanni

Eric D. Seguin

Chunxiao Xu

Top Row (left to right): Kara Alaimo, PhD, Karen Anderson, PMP, Nehulkumar “Nick” Barot, Christina Harris; Bottom Row (left to right): Sharon Marro, John Sangiovanni, Eric D. Seguin, Chunxiao Xu

Nine Candidates

The nine candidates for the three available seats are listed in alphabetical order. Each term is for three years.

• Kara Alaimo, PhD

• Karen Anderson, PMP

• Nehulkumar “Nick” Barot

• Christina Harris

• Sharon Marro

• John Sangiovanni

• Eric D. Seguin

• Chunxiao Xu

• Gabriela Zayova (photo not available)

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Profile Articles

The Montgomery News will provide profiles of each candidate in the September issue of the newspaper, and online at TheMontyNews.com. While most candidates provided profiles for this issue, two were unable to meet the short deadline, so the editor decided it would be unfair to feature just some candidates and not all.