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Monday, July 20, 2026

School Board Races Continue to Take Shape

By ANDRÈ COLEMAN, Managing Editor

Left to Right: Michelle Richardson Bailey, Kimberly Kenne and Patrice Marshall McKenzie [photo credit: Pasadena Unified School District]

Two more prospective candidates have pulled nomination papers to run for the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) Board of Education.

Incumbent Michelle Richardson Bailey pulled papers to seek re-election to her District 3 seat, where she is expected to face Veronica Elias. Dennis McNamara also pulled papers to run for the District 7 seat being vacated by Yarma Velázquez.

The district uses a plurality voting system, meaning the candidate who receives the most votes wins the seat, even if they receive less than 50% of the vote. This year, voters will elect representatives in Districts 1, 3, 5 and 7.

In District 1, incumbent Kim Kenne will defend her seat against Felita Kealing. In District 5, incumbent Patrice Marshall McKenzie is currently running unopposed.

Candidates who have been issued nomination papers are not officially on the ballot until they complete the filing process, including gathering the required voter signatures and qualifying with the City Clerk.

If an incumbent in any of the four districts chooses not to seek re-election or fails to qualify for the ballot, the nomination period for that office will be extended until 5 p.m. Aug. 12.

The election calendar also includes several important campaign finance deadlines. Beginning Aug. 5, candidates who receive contributions of $1,000 or more from a single source must report those contributions within 24 hours. That reporting requirement remains in effect through Election Day.

The filing period for write-in candidates runs from Sept. 7 through Oct. 20.

Candidates must file their first pre-election campaign finance statement by Sept. 24, covering activity from July 1 through Sept. 19. A second statement, covering Sept. 20 through Oct. 17, is due Oct. 22.

Los Angeles County will begin mailing vote-by-mail ballots Oct. 5. Applications for vote-by-mail ballots must be received by Oct. 27.

The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 19, although California’s same-day voter registration process allows eligible voters to register and cast a ballot at any Los Angeles County Vote Center through Election Day.

Vote Centers will open for in-person voting Oct. 24 and remain open through Nov. 3. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day.