Jackie Elward is the former Mayor of Rohnert Park who became the first Black woman elected to the Rohnert Park Council in 2020 by defeating a six-term incumbent. During her tenure on the Council and as Mayor, Jackie has been a progressive champion, bringing the community together around affordable housing, helping the unhoused, and making public investments in transportation, sustainable agriculture, and clean energy.

As an educator and labor organizer from a labor family, she has been an integral part of the struggle to build pathways to the middle class and expand access to fair wages and benefits.

Jackie knows that the safest communities have the most resources, and now she is running for California State Senate to prioritize real public safety solutions, including:

• Investing in our schools
• Expanding access to affordable homes, with a special focus on housing for teachers and nurses
• Treating homelessness like the crisis it is
• Expanding access to affordable mental health crisis centers and services
• Taking the threat of climate change seriously and prepare for wildfires and rising sea levels
• Standing up for working families — be a champion for labor

Jackie’s opponent, Rozzana Verder-Aliga, is the Vice-Mayor on the Vallejo City Council. Vallejo has one of the most deadly police departments in the country. Many unarmed Black and brown people have been killed, including Sean Monterrosa, and Verder-Aliga has continuously sided with the police and failed to hold the Vallejo PD accountable. 

Verder-Aliga is also strongly supported by the current State Senator, Bill Dodd — a corporate Democrat who supports juvenile jails, police in schools, voted against restorative justice programs, and opposes protecting civil liberties. He also supports corporations violating worker protections and has an F from the ACLU, the California Labor Council, and many other organizations. 

Based on his record, it’s clear why he wants Verder-Aliga to replace him. 

We are proud to endorse Jackie because Vallejo and all of District 3 deserve someone who will truly fight for the people, not the police union and corporations.