Thursday, September 3, 2026

District 3 School Board Member Michelle Richardson Bailey Launches Re-Election Campaign

Michelle Richardson Bailey [Pasadena Unified]

The trustee, on the board since 2017, qualified for the Nov. 3 ballot on Aug. 3; District 3 is one of four seats up this year

Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education member Michelle Richardson Bailey laid out her case for re-election in a message to District 3 voters Wednesday, Sept. 2, citing the district’s five-year strategic plan, the student think tank and a balanced budget as accomplishments of her tenure.

“I’m running for reelection because District 3 deserves leadership that listens, follows through, and delivers,” Richardson Bailey said in the campaign message.

Richardson Bailey qualified for the Nov. 3 ballot on Aug. 3 after filing her nomination papers that day, and she faces challenger Veronica Elias, who qualified July 30.

The election, consolidated with the statewide general election, also covers Districts 1, 5 and 7.  Board seats are decided by plurality, so the candidate with the most votes wins even without a majority.

“If reelected, in addition to prioritizing our students, I am committed to cultivating a culture of change on the school board and the district as a whole,” Richardson Bailey said in August after she qualified.

Richardson Bailey has served on the board since 2017 and was its president in 2023. In Wednesday’s message she pointed to the district’s adoption that year of a five-year strategic plan, the creation of the board’s legislative committee, and the PUSD Student Think Tank, which she said created a pathway for students to take part directly in board discussions and decisions. She also cited her support for the district’s commitments to Black and Latinx students, including ethnic studies and the Immersive Storytelling Academy.

Before joining the board, Richardson Bailey said, she spent 14 years working in the district, in the superintendent’s office and at Pasadena High School and Blair High School, and served on district committees including the Local Control and Accountability Plan committee. As a trustee, she said, she has served on the board’s legislative, facilities and safety, policy and citizens’ oversight committees.

She said that, during her tenure, the board advanced school modernization plans and secured significant increases in employee compensation.

If re-elected, Richardson Bailey said, she would work to elevate student voices, strengthen accountability, prioritize classrooms, support educators and staff, expand career opportunities and align district spending with the needs of students and families.

The Richardson Bailey for PUSD School Board 2026 campaign website may be seen at  https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.michelleforpusd.com/&source=gmail&ust=1788519040928000&sa=E.