Elaine Bonavita

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Elaine Bonavita

Nonpartisan

Elections and appointments

Last election

May 3, 2025

Education

Bachelor's

University of Northern Iowa, 1999

Personal

Birthplace

Massachusetts

Religion

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Profession

Educator

Contact

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Elaine Bonavita ran for election to the Richardson Independent School District school board to represent District 2 in Texas. She lost in the general election on May 3, 2025.

Bonavita completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Elaine Bonavita was born in Massachusetts. She attended high school at the Bitburg Germany AFB. She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Northern Iowa in 1999 and attended Texas Wesleyan Law School. Her career experience includes working as an educator, investigative journalist, newspaper publisher/editor, and cable television talk show host. She has been affiliated with the Dallas County Republican Party.

Elections

2025

See also: Richardson Independent School District, Texas, elections (2025)

General election

General election for Richardson Independent School District school board District 2

Incumbent Vanessa Pacheco defeated Pamela Hughes and Elaine Bonavita in the general election for Richardson Independent School District school board District 2 on May 3, 2025.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Vanessa Pacheco (Nonpartisan)	50.1	2,713
	Submit photo	Pamela Hughes (Nonpartisan)	43.2	2,339
		Elaine Bonavita (Nonpartisan)	6.7	364

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,416
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Bonavita in this election.

Campaign themes

2025

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Elaine Bonavita completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Bonavita's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a retired degreed permanent substitute teacher with Richardson ISD 2024. I have a B.A. in English graduated summa cum laude 1999 and 1st year law student Texas Wesleyan Law School 2001. I am a fiscal and social conservative, pro-life and patriot in my lifelong legacy of public service including: Served one term 1978 as city councilor-at-large Agawam, MA and one term 1994 as school board director Waterloo, IA. I sponsored 3 statewide, countywide and citywide propositions on the ballot all passed and adopted by voters including Propostion 2 1/2 Mass. 1980 statewide tax relief and Proposition 1 Sevier County Utah 2008 empowering the voters with the right to vote on any coal power plant before final approval by any county authority. I have published two non-profit conservative newspapers in Agawam, Ma while on the city council and in Sevier County Utah when I founded and chaired a Right to Vote Committe. I also produced and hosted two non-profit cable television talk shows in Sevier County, Utah and again in Waterloo, Iowa while I was on the WCSD School Board. I have served two overseas church service missions to the Kingdom of Tonga where I founded and served in a hospital and prison ministry on the island of Vava'u 2001-2007, and returned again to serve in the King's public elementary schools as a religion teacher from 2019-2021. I am a published author in 2016 on Amazon with my two memoirs titled: The Miracle of Tonga and The Mobologist's Story.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• [1] The role of any school board member is to be a “servant leader.” As the only educator and fiscal and social conservative candidate with a law background, I have a proven public service record committed to listening to parents, taxpayers and teachers when serving on both a city council and school board. When my city council ignored taxpayer petitions, I co-sponsored a statewide tax relief measure Proposition 2 1/2 adopted in 1980 while I was still on the city council!
• [2] Transparency is key to representing concerned parents. I am experienced and ready to assume the role of a RISD school board member. I want to stay involved and focused on the needs of parents who are concerned their voice is not being heard and hoping for a better education for their children. While on the WCSD School Board I made national news exposing the sexually explicit books for required reading in classrooms and school libraries grades 9-12.
• [3] Liason between State Legislature and RISD school board is key to understanding our role in transitioning educational outcomes in line with the many educational bills coming out of the 2025 legislative session. I support the Senate and House bills for library books giving parents, not librarians, control of approving books, a stronger discipline code, a period of prayer as voluntary in school, placing the Ten Commandments on the walls of each campus, parental rights, and vouchers plan. My law background and legislative experience sponsoring successful ballot measures would position me as the only trustee capable of bringing a conservative voice to the school board.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Declining enrollment due to fiscal irresponsibility and failure to listen to concerned parents who have withdrawn their children from our school district. Discipline is a major factor in why we are losing students and teachers. We need to adopt a zero tolerance for bad behavior in the classroom in the elementary grades. And we need to focus on retaining quality teachers and retraining those teachers who are not producing satisfactory results.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Jesus Christ the Only Begotten Son of God is the best example for a child of God to follow and I have lived by those principles when serving in elected public office.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

The Miracle of Tonga and The Mobologists Story are both my memoirs published on Amazon that tell my story of my legacy as an activist and volunteer in both public service and the church.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

the assassination of president John F. Kennedy. I was in high school

What is your favorite book? Why?

The Miracle of Tonga because it is my own published memoir that sells on Amazon. Each chapter is a miracle I personally experienced while serving as a missionary in the Kingdom of Tonga after law school in 2001.

Who are your constituents?

Parents, teachers, students, administrators, and taxpayers

How might you support the mental health needs of students/faculty/staff?

Students need to be more involved in a good individual exercise plan. Monitoring their food diet is key to better mental health since reports have shown food plays a role in behavior and learning abilities.

Describe your ideal learning environment for students.

Safe and productive learning environment with a zero tolerance for bad behavior in the elementary schools.

How do you feel like your school district handled the coronavirus pandemic? What, if anything, would you do differently in the future?

no masks

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

I am a fiscal and social conservative believing no government can serve the people without transparency and accountability.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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Candidate

Richardson Independent School District school board District 2

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