Rohnert Park City Councilmember Jackie Elward Running For State Senate

NORTH BAY, CA — Rohnert Park City Councilmember Jackie Elward has joined the race to replace California state Sen. Bill Dodd, who is not campaigning for reelection because of term limits.

State Senate District 3, where Elward resides, encompasses Napa, Solano and Yolo counties, as well as portions of Sonoma, Contra Costa and Sacramento counties. The primary election is scheduled for March 5, 2024, followed by the general election on Nov. 5 of the same year. Dodd has represented the region since 2016; his term expires in 2024.

Elward wants to utilize "love and empathy to unite the people," and is "ready to jump on this adventure," she said.

Elward, a Democrat, was elected to the Rohnert Park Council in 2020 and represents Council District 4. In 2022, she served as mayor of the city with a population of 44,000. Elward first ran for Rohnert Park City Council in 2018 but lost out. In 2020, however, she bested longtime City Councilmember Jake Mackenzie in what was considered a major political upset on the local front.

Elward was not thinking about pursuing greater political ambitions until her constituents lobbied her to go after Dodd’s seat, she said.

"It's humbling," she said, of the unsolicited support.

Elward is proud of her efforts to help bridge a connection between the community and the city, contend with homeless issues, purchase property to reinvigorate downtown Rohnert Park and assist with the creation of the SAFE team which deals with residents facing mental health crises, she said.

She hopes to next address affordable housing, sustainable agriculture and clean energy. If elected to the state Senate, her priorities include working to increase school funding, preparing for climate-change-fueled wildfires and sea-level rise, and addressing homelessness, mental health, and job creation with living wages.

In addition to serving on the City Council, Elward sits on the boards for Sonoma Clean Power Authority, Sonoma County Continuum of Care and North Bay Jobs with Justice.

Elward was born and raised in the Democratic Republic of Congo. She is married and is a mother of three. She earned bachelor's degrees in sociology and criminal justice.

Elward's competition for the District 3 Senate seat currently includes two other Democrats: former West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon and Vallejo City Councilmember Dr. Rozzana Verder-Aliga. The latter has been endorsed by Dodd, who lauded Verder-Aliga's work in mental health services and advocacy for small businesses.

In a recent fundraising plea distributed on social media, Elward said: “How much money I raise will be the measure by which some see my campaign’s viability. A strong fundraising performance can be a signal that we’re competitors — in it to win it … Those same folks will say I’m too inexperienced because they don’t think leading on the picket lines and securing real wins for the working class counts as experience. They’ll say I’m too progressive because they think fighting for good wages and a path toward middle-class prosperity is too controversial for their donors."

She added that she was proud to receive endorsements from U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael), former U.S. Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Petaluma), Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis, and state Assemblymember Damon Connolly (D-San Rafael).

Her campaign website is at: Jackie4senate.com.

Additional reporting by Chris Rooney