A San Marcos school board member has made a last-minute announcement she won't seek re-election, and a Poway councilman who has held his seat for 28 years is stepping down.

Those are some of the highlights of three races on the Nov. 4 ballot in inland North County. In races in which incumbents have decided not to run, the deadline for filing has been extended to Wednesday.

Here's how things stand now:

San Marcos Unified School District

Longtime board member Mary Borevitz announced yesterday that she will not seek re-election. Her colleague, Pam Bancells, who was elected in 1996, also is not running.

The only incumbent running is David Horacek, elected in 2004.

The challengers who have filed as of Thursday afternoon, the most current information: Jay Petrek, a city of Escondido planner and a former San Marcos school board member; Carlos Ulloa, a senior educational consultant who lives in Carlsbad; and Randy Walton, an attorney who lives in San Elijo Hills.

Ulloa ran two years ago. Walton helped the school district get a $6 million endowment last year from the Leichtag Family Foundation.

Borevitz said her 17 years on the board has been “one of the highlights of (her) life” but it's time to hand the baton to someone else.

Poway City Council

Two seats are open. The big news is that Bob Emery, who has served on the council since the city incorporated in 1980, is stepping down. Councilwoman Merrilee Boyack is running for a second four-year term.

The four candidates are:

Boyack, 50, an attorney and 19-year resident of the city with a long history of volunteerism. She was elected in 2004. She says she has worked hard for residents and has a long list of completed projects. Her Web site is www.voteboyack.com

Chuck Cross, 56, a 24-year city resident perhaps best known in the community for his volunteer work with the Poway-Midland Railroad.

Owner of a landscaping business, Cross said his campaign will focus on maintaining the city's rural character, protecting the city against future wildfires, promoting fiscal integrity and timely completion of city projects. chuckcross.com.

Howard Collins, 60, a marketing manager for Geico insurance, is an 18-year resident. He says he values living in Poway and has the skills and temperament to work with a diverse group of people to get things done. bepowayproud.com

Jim Cunningham, 51, a resident since 1993. Cunningham has been endorsed by Emery, Mayor Mickey Cafagna and Councilman Don Higginson.

Cunningham, an attorney, says during these “very difficult times and the significant issues facing Poway, I'm running to protect and preserve all that we treasure in Poway: safe neighborhoods, quality of life and our fantastic school system.” jimforpoway.com

Escondido City Council

Six candidates will compete for two positions. They are incumbents Sam Abed and Ed Gallo and challengers Richard Barron, Olga Diaz, Dennis French and Chuck Voelker.

Abed, 56, was elected in 2004. He owns a Mobil station on East Valley Parkway and commercial properties downtown. In 2006, he supported the failed attempt to penalize landlords for renting to undocumented immigrants. Since then, he has focused on “quality-of-life” issues. www.samabed.net.

Gallo, 66, a contractor, has been on the council since 2000. He also supported the penalties for landlords who rent to undocumented immigrants. He is building his Web site.

Diaz, 32, ran for council in 2006 and finished third. She owns two Blue Mug Tea & Coffee shops and said she will leave immigration issues to the federal government and focus on improving services and infrastructure. olgadiaz.com.

Richard Barron, 63, a business consultant, has teamed up with Diaz. Barron said he wants to attract new businesses and rejuvenate downtown. rbarron.org

French, 45, owns InCounters Inc. in Escondido, a kitchen and bathroom remodeling business. He said it is time to put aside immigration issues and work on improving the city's streets and parks.

Voelker, 37, is a manager for a Walgreen's store in Escondido and owns Simply Adina Floral Design with his wife. He advocates fiscal responsibility and said he is concerned the city is dipping into its reserves.