Rafael Elizalde

Rafael Elizalde

Education

Bachelor's

Claremont McKenna College

Graduate

California Baptist University

Personal

Profession

District director, U.S. Rep. Mark Takano (D)

Contact

Personal website

Rafael Elizalde was a candidate for Ward 6 representative on the Riverside City Council in California. Elizalde was defeated in the general election on June 6, 2017.

Biography

Elizalde earned his B.A. in government from Claremont McKenna College. He also holds a master's degree in public administration from California Baptist University. Elizalde is the district director for U.S. Rep. Mark Takano (D).

Elections

2017

See also: Municipal elections in Riverside, California (2017)

Incumbent Jim Perry defeated Rafael Elizalde in the general election for the Ward 6 seat on the Riverside City Council.

Riverside City Council, Ward 6 General Election, 2017
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Jim Perry Incumbent	66.07%	2,566
Rafael Elizalde	33.93%	1,318
Total Votes		3,884
Source: Riverside County, "General Municipal Election - June 6, 2017," accessed June 28, 2017

Campaign themes

2017

Elizalde's campaign website included the following themes for 2017:

“	Infrastructure Providing all of our neighbors paved streets and sidewalks is the first step to creating pride in our neighborhoods. We’ve all heard the excuses, “La Sierra and Arlanza were rural horse properties when the area was annexed by the City. That’s why we haven’t got around to adding sidewalks.” The City of Riverside annexed La Sierra in 1964! We deserve better! Rafael will fight to ensure that we get our fair share and put the interests of our neighborhoods first. Under the current spending priorities for Measure Z Ward Specific Capital Improvements, Ward 6 will only receive $47,000 compared to the $14.7 million to Ward 1, $5.3 million to Ward 2, and $18.7 million to Ward 3. And if you read the full Capital Improvement Plan, there was never any thought to adding sidewalks to our neighborhoods. We need someone that will actually read the staff recommendations and the five-year plan before making decisions for our community. Constituent Services Constituent services are key to identifying not only the needs of residents but identifying the structural changes that are necessary for improving the delivery of city services. As an experienced District Director for a Congressional office, Rafael has created data-driven models of providing constituent services to help people individually and identify prevailing issues in how government interacts with people. By creating a simple web-based intake form tracking communication with your Councilmember, Rafael can improve responsiveness, track progress on requests, identify recurring issues with the delivery of services, and increase transparency. While nothing can replace having your Councilmember just a phone call away, we can use big data to not only solve the problem of one constituent, but find long-term solutions for all our neighbors. Innovate Riverside is a city rich in both technical innovation and the arts. In order to celebrate this, Rafael propose a partnership between local industry and the city government to foster development and growth in our small businesses that produce physical products. “Riverside Made” is more than a marketing and branding idea, it’s an opportunity to showcase the potential of our city.	”
—Rafael Elizalde (2017)

See also

Riverside, California	California	Municipal government	Other local coverage

External links

Suggest a link

• Riverside City Council
• Campaign website