LA County Democrats Endorse 4 Pasadena Unified Board Candidates

The Los Angeles County Democratic Party has endorsed four candidates for the Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education, including two incumbents seeking reelection, according to a news release issued Tuesday.

The party endorsed Felita Kealing in District 1, incumbent board member Michelle Richardson Bailey in District 3, incumbent board member Patrice Marshall McKenzie in District 5 and Cynthia Torres in District 7 for the Nov. 3 general election.

The Nov. 3 election will determine representatives for four board districts, including Districts 1, 3 and 7, the release said. McKenzie is running unopposed in District 5, and her race will not appear on the ballot.

County party endorsements in local and municipal races become official endorsements of the California Democratic Party, the release said.

The county party is the official governing body of the Democratic Party in Los Angeles County and the largest local Democratic Party organization in the United States, representing more than 2.9 million registered Democrats, the release said.

The county organization works with Democratic organizations throughout the county and conducts the party’s endorsement process for candidates running for local and municipal office.

The school board adopts the district’s annual budget, approves expenditures, establishes district policy, authorizes personnel and oversees academic programs and initiatives.

The campaigns come as the district continues to address enrollment, financial and facilities challenges, along with challenges that followed the Eaton Fire, the release said.

Kealing, a Pasadena Unified graduate, parent, community leader and current district employee, is a lifelong member of the Pasadena and Altadena community, the release said.

She faces incumbent Board Member Kimberly Kenne.

The endorsement reflects the values that have guided her throughout her life — bringing people together, supporting families, strengthening public schools and making sure every child has the opportunity to thrive — Kealing said in the release. “District 1 is home. It’s where I grew up, raised my family, and learned what it means to be part of a community that shows up for one another,” she said.

After attending Pasadena Unified schools, she returned to the district as a parent, volunteer, advocate and school employee, and she has spent years building partnerships among students, families, educators, community organizations and local institutions, the release said. Her experience includes leadership with the Pasadena Educational Foundation, family engagement initiatives, literacy programs, food and school supply drives, and the Pasadena Unified African American Parent Council, according to the release.

The Eaton Fire destroyed her family’s longtime Altadena home, and she has continued working alongside the community as District 1 rebuilds, the release said.

Her campaign focuses on building strong community schools, putting families at the center of decision-making, expanding opportunities for students, supporting educators and school employees, and bringing people together through collaborative leadership, the release said.

Richardson Bailey has represented District 3 on the board since 2017. A Pasadena native and Pasadena Unified graduate, she has experienced the district as a student, employee, parent, grandparent and board member, the release said.

She faces opponent Veronica Elias, an Educator/Parent.

The endorsement represents a shared commitment to strong public schools, opportunity for every student and support for the families and educators who make schools thrive, Richardson Bailey said in the release.

“With my meaningful experience serving on the PUSD Board, I know there is still important work ahead, and I’m ready to continue that work on behalf of the students, families, and communities of District 3,” she said.

Before joining the board, she spent years working within the district, including as secretary to the superintendent and in administrative roles at Pasadena High School and Blair High School, and served on numerous district committees and school-site organizations, the release said.

During her tenure, she has worked on facilities, safety, policy, labor-management relations and school funding initiatives, the release said. She authored the district’s Commitment to Black Students resolution and commissioned a resolution focused on the district’s commitment to Latinx students, which contributed to initiatives including ethnic studies and the Immersive Storytelling Academy, according to the release.

Her reelection campaign emphasizes student voice, accountability and prioritizing the classroom, with a focus on transparent leadership, responsible stewardship of district resources and ensuring students, educators and staff have the support they need to succeed, the release said.

McKenzie, a Pasadena Unified graduate, attended district schools from kindergarten through high school before earning bachelor’s and graduate degrees from the University of California, Berkeley and Baruch College, the release said. She has spent her career working to expand opportunity for students and families, according to the release.

McKenzie has served and organized within the Democratic Party for many years, she said in the release. “Receiving the endorsement of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party is especially meaningful because this is an organization I have worked alongside and helped lead,” she said.

For more than 15 years, she has worked with state and local government leaders, including members of the California State Legislature and the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education, focusing on public affairs, education, media relations, coalition building and community partnerships, the release said.

As a board member, she helped advance workforce housing for district employees, expand transitional kindergarten seats and secure voter approval of a parcel tax and a school facilities bond, with more than 69% of voters supporting both measures, the release said.

She also developed the Black Student and Family Task Force, which led to the creation of the Immersive Storytelling Academy, and helped raise $1 million in Eaton Fire relief for the Pasadena Educational Foundation, the release said.

Her reelection campaign focuses on stability, service and safety, with priorities that include student achievement, family and community engagement, and continued investment in school facilities, infrastructure and employee housing, the release said.

Torres is president of College Decisions, a Pasadena-based educational consulting firm she founded in 2010, the release said. A certified educational planner, she has spent more than 15 years helping students and families navigate academic planning, college admissions, financial aid, scholarships and pathways to higher education, according to the release.

Torres faces Dennis J. McNamara a retired finance executive.

The endorsement is especially meaningful to her because it reflects the values that have shaped her life, Torres said in the release. “I come from a labor family, and my family came to this country seeking opportunity and the chance to build a better life through hard work and education,” she said. Those experiences taught her the importance of standing up for working families, expanding opportunity and making sure every child has the chance to succeed, she said.

Torres has served on Pasadena Unified’s Citizens Oversight Committee and, for 11 years, on the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Financial Oversight Committee, including two years as chair overseeing a $220 million budget, the release said. She also chaired that committee’s Revenue Generation group, where she researched strategies for strengthening school district resources through fundraising, bond measures, parcel taxes and other revenue opportunities, according to the release.

She has held leadership positions at Goldman Sachs, Fidelity Investments and First Interstate Bank of California and is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Business School, the release said.

She is running on a platform centered on financial sustainability, building new revenue and expanding college opportunity, the release said.