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Francisco Pastor-Rivera
2025 - Present
2029
0
Francisco Pastor-Rivera is an at-large member of the Phoenix Union High School District in Arizona. He assumed office on January 24, 2025. His current term ends on January 1, 2029.
Pastor-Rivera won election for an at-large seat of the Phoenix Union High School District in Arizona outright after the general election on March 11, 2025, was canceled.
Pastor-Rivera completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Francisco Pastor-Rivera was born in Phoenix, Arizona. He earned a bachelor's degree from Creighton University in 2024. Pastor-Rivera's career experience includes working as an educator.[1]
Elections
2025
Two seats on the Phoenix Union High School District school board in Arizona were scheduled to be up for special general election on March 11, 2025, but the election was canceled. The election was originally on the ballot on November 5, 2024, but the results for the two at-large seats were voided after election ballots were printed with an error in instructions. The redo election was rescheduled to be held on March 11, 2025, with the same candidates who appeared on the ballot in November.
Candidates Debbie Cross and Aden Ramirez withdrew from the race in January 2025, leaving only two candidates, incumbent Aaron Marquez and candidate Francisco Pastor-Rivera, running for the two at-large seats. United States District Court for the District of Arizona Judge Murray Snow canceled the election following Maricopa County's request that the two remaining candidates be declared the winners. Marquez and Pastor-Rivera received the most votes when the race was on the 2024 ballot.[2]
Endorsements
Pastor-Rivera received the following endorsements.
- Ruben Gallego (D) -
- Signa Oliver (Nonpartisan) -
- Raquel Terán (D) -
- Arizona Latino School Board Association
- Arizona Legislative District 11 Democratic Committee
2024
Two at-large seats on the Phoenix Union High School District school board were on the ballot on November 5, 2024. A consent decree from 1990 states that voters in the district may only vote for one at-large candidate in the at-large race even when two seats are up for election. In the November election, ballots were incorrectly printed with instructions to vote for two candidates instead of one, disobeying the consent decree. United States District Court for the District of Arizona Judge Murray Snow ordered a new mail-in election to be held on March 11, 2025. The candidates who appeared on the November ballot were scheduled to appear on the March ballot, but the race was canceled after Debbie Cross and Aden Ramirez withdrew from the race in January 2025.[3][4] The candidates were:
- Aaron Marquez (incumbent)
- Debbie Cross
- Francisco Pastor-Rivera
- Aden Ramirez
Endorsements
Pastor-Rivera received the following endorsements.
- Ruben Gallego (D) -
- Signa Oliver (Nonpartisan) -
- Raquel Terán (D) -
- Arizona Latino School Board Association
- Arizona Legislative District 11 Democratic Committee
Campaign themes
2025
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Francisco Pastor-Rivera completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Pastor-Rivera's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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The next day, a small group of us partnered with a local nonprofit, students from other schools, businesses, and community members to form an advocacy alliance. Our efforts quickly became part of our daily lives, with regular visits to the State Capitol to meet legislators from both parties. Despite challenges, including a Republican legislator suggesting I be deported for advocating for in-state tuition, we persisted.
Our determination paid off when a bipartisan group of legislators introduced SCR 1044, leading to the passage of Proposition 308. This victory expanded into a statewide campaign, culminating in the success of Proposition 308 in the November 2022 election. Simultaneously, I worked with the Phoenix City Council to establish the Phoenix Promise Program, in partnership with the Maricopa Community College Foundation, which now offers scholarships and support for students.
I am running to continue this advocacy, driven by the belief that education should be accessible to all.- As a sixth-generation Arizonan and third-generation educator, I take great pride in serving our community as a 7th and 8th grade language arts teacher. I am running for this seat to continue my work advocating for our students, boosting literacy and attendance, expanding mental health resources, and ensuring students are prepared for college, trade school, and careers.
- Growing up as a young Chicano in Arizona, I have witnessed the challenges that students and
families faced rooted in inequity, systemic barriers, and bigotry. I have seen the impact of discriminatory policies that denied opportunities to students. But rather than standing by, I chose a path of action, organizing advocacy efforts, and working alongside community members to fight for positive change. As a young educator, I understand that education is not about academics; it is about supporting the emotional, mental and social needs of the entire community. In every step
that I have taken since my advocacy in high school, I have always aimed to have the values of equity, justice, and community. - We have already accomplished much, such as advocating for the passage of Prop 308 to ensure in-state tuition for all students, and supporting the Phoenix Promise Program, which provides scholarships with wraparound support. We are running to continue advocating and advancing policies that support our students and their families, and to remove any barriers.
(2) Expand mental health resources
(3) Strengthen support for educators and staff
everyone. From my experience, leadership also involves being present and actively engaged, showing up with a genuine commitment to serve.
in these circumstances has profoundly shaped my perspective and approach to life. As part
of the LGBTQ+ community, I have navigated my own unique set of challenges and
students, families, and greater communities about their civic and civil rights. Growing up in Arizona, I witnessed elected officials using the legislative process and weaponizing the educational system to further marginalize our students. I was only six years old when SB
1070 passed and a sophomore in high school when the state Supreme Court ruled against DACA recipients and undocumented students. It wasn’t until I began my advocacy work, learning from colleagues and mentors, that I fully understood my civic and civil rights.
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.
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Francisco Pastor-Rivera completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Pastor-Rivera's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
| Collapse all
The next day, a small group of us partnered with a local nonprofit, students from other schools, businesses, and community members to form an advocacy alliance. Our efforts quickly became part of our daily lives, with regular visits to the State Capitol to meet legislators from both parties. Despite challenges, including a Republican legislator suggesting I be deported for advocating for in-state tuition, we persisted.
Our determination paid off when a bipartisan group of legislators introduced SCR 1044, leading to the passage of Proposition 308. This victory expanded into a statewide campaign, culminating in the success of Proposition 308 in the November 2022 election. Simultaneously, I worked with the Phoenix City Council to establish the Phoenix Promise Program, in partnership with the Maricopa Community College Foundation, which now offers scholarships and support for students.
I am running to continue this advocacy, driven by the belief that education should be accessible to all.- As a sixth-generation Arizonan and third-generation educator, I take great pride in serving our community as a 7th and 8th grade language arts teacher. I am running for this seat to continue my work advocating for our students, boosting literacy and attendance, expanding mental health resources, and ensuring students are prepared for college, trade school, and careers.
- Growing up as a young Chicano in Arizona, I have witnessed the challenges that students and
families faced rooted in inequity, systemic barriers, and bigotry. I have seen the impact of discriminatory policies that denied opportunities to students. But rather than standing by, I chose a path of action, organizing advocacy efforts, and working alongside community members to fight for positive change. As a young educator, I understand that education is not about academics; it is about supporting the emotional, mental and social needs of the entire community. In every step
that I have taken since my advocacy in high school, I have always aimed to have the values of equity, justice, and community. - We have already accomplished much, such as advocating for the passage of Prop 308 to ensure in-state tuition for all students, and supporting the Phoenix Promise Program, which provides scholarships with wraparound support. We are running to continue advocating and advancing policies that support our students and their families, and to remove any barriers.
(2) Expand mental health resources
(3) Strengthen support for educators and staff
everyone. From my experience, leadership also involves being present and actively engaged, showing up with a genuine commitment to serve.
in these circumstances has profoundly shaped my perspective and approach to life. As part
of the LGBTQ+ community, I have navigated my own unique set of challenges and
students, families, and greater communities about their civic and civil rights. Growing up in Arizona, I witnessed elected officials using the legislative process and weaponizing the educational system to further marginalize our students. I was only six years old when SB
1070 passed and a sophomore in high school when the state Supreme Court ruled against DACA recipients and undocumented students. It wasn’t until I began my advocacy work, learning from colleagues and mentors, that I fully understood my civic and civil rights.
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.
See also
2025 Elections
External links
|
Candidate Phoenix Union High School District, At-large |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 7, 2024
- ↑ The Arizona Republic, "Phoenix school board election redo canceled, federal judge rules," January 13, 2025
- ↑ The Arizona Republic, "Maricopa County must redo Phoenix Union school board election after ballot error," December 12, 2024
- ↑ The Arizona Republic, "Phoenix school board election redo canceled, federal judge rules," January 13, 2025
