School Board District 3 Seat Goes to Richardson Bailey Over Amsbry

Michelle Richardson Bailey maintained her sizable lead over challenger Pat Amsbry all election night to win the District 3 PUSD Board seat.

Bailey earned 60.82% of the vote to Amsbry’s 39.18%.

The race turned ugly over the last several months after Bailey said an Amsbry mailer contained racial undertones.  

Bailey will become president of the board.

“My second term is important because I will be president of the board, and the students of PUSD will continue to benefit from my experience and the continuity from the work I’ve begun over the past five years in changing the narrative and the culture of the classroom so that all students feel valued and find joy in learning; these are major components that lead to higher achievement,” Richardson Bailey told Pasadena Now earlier this week. 

The race turned contentious last month after Bailey accused Amsbry of “racial undertones” in a mailer. 

In the mailer, Amsbry said that Bailey is an incumbent and claims she is part of the status quo, out of touch, refuses to address gun safety and is a rubber stamp for Superintendent Brian McDonald’s salary.

Bailey took exception to a photo used by Amsbry that places her against a dark grey background. 

Bailey said Amsbry used an old unflattering photo of her. Bailey said the photo comes across as a mugshot.