Rafael Fajardo
Rafael Fajardo is a former at-large member of the Elizabeth Board of Education in New Jersey. His lost in the general election on November 4, 2014.
Fajardo first served on the board from 1980 to 1983. He also served from 1986 to 1989, and then again from 1993 to 2010. He resigned in June 2010, but he was appointed by the board to fill a vacancy on May 5, 2014.[1][2][3]
Biography
Rafael Fajardo is a resident of Elizabeth, New Jersey. Fajardo graduated from Jefferson High School in the district before earning his undergraduate degree from Rutgers University in 1975 and becoming a businessman.[4]
Elections
2014
The election in Elizabeth featured three at-large seats up for general election on November 4, 2014. Incumbents Rafael Fajardo, Francisco González, and Paul Perreira ran against challengers Ana Maria Amin, Stefano Calella, Maria Z. Carvalho, Malik J. Jackson, Anthony Padlo, and Virginia San Pedro. Perreira won re-election, and Amin and Carvalho were added to the board.
Two slates competed for the seats. The Continue the Progress slate included Fajardo, Perreira, and Calella. The Unity for Education slate included Amin, Carvalho, and Jackson. González, Padlo, and San Pedro did not run as part of a slate, and all three candidates withdrew prior to the general election.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan |  Ana Maria Amin |
17.8% | 5,772 | |
| Nonpartisan | Paul Perreira Incumbent |
17.4% | 5,642 | |
| Nonpartisan | Maria Z. Carvalho |
17% | 5,527 | |
| Nonpartisan | Rafael Fajardo Incumbent | 16.7% | 5,429 | |
| Nonpartisan | Malik J. Jackson | 16.6% | 5,400 | |
| Nonpartisan | Stefano Calella | 14.3% | 4,640 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 0.1% | 28 | |
| Total Votes | 32,438 | |||
| Source: Union County Clerk, "Official 2014 General Election Results," November 14, 2014 | ||||
Funding
Fajardo ran as part of the "Continue the Progress" slate, which did not report any contributions or expenditures during the election, according to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission.[5]
Endorsements
Fajardo did not receive any official endorsements for his campaign during the election.
2014
Issues in the election
Super PACs in local elections
The Elizabeth Board of Education approved a resolution in March 2014 calling on U.S. Sens. Cory Booker (D) and Bob Menendez (D) to pass legislation preventing Super PACs from becoming involved in local elections. In the 2013 election, a group called the "Committee for Economic Growth and Social Justice" spent $176,116 in three school board races, including the one in Elizabeth Public Schools. Elizabeth Board President A. Tony Monteiro criticized the spending and stated, "We've never experienced or expected that outside interest groups would come in and invest this kind of money into a local school board race. [...] It boggles the mind."[6] Two challengers supported by the Super PAC, Stan Neron and José M. Rodríguez, defeated incumbents Stefano Calella and Anthony Padlo. Both Calella and Padlo ran for re-election in the race on November 4, 2014.
The Super PAC was launched in August 2012 by individuals affiliated with state Senator Raymond Lesniak (D-20), who had clashed with the Elizabeth Board of Education following a federal investigation into the district’s school lunch program. The 2012 investigation resulted in two board members and two district attorneys being charged with "falsifying school lunch program applications." After the investigation concluded, Lesniak publicly supported the removal of all board members, while the board endorsed his 2011 and 2013 Democratic primary challengers.
Lesniak defended the Super PAC, to which he contributed $15,000 in 2013, noting that it voluntarily discloses its donors even though it is not legally required to do so. He also argued that the 2013 incumbents were not at a significant disadvantage, stating, “They raised hundreds of thousands of dollars a year from vendors and public school employees. They should pass a resolution barring candidates from accepting donations from public school employees and vendors if they were serious about campaign reform.”[7]
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Rafael + Fajardo + Elizabeth + Public + Schools"
See also
External links
- Elizabeth Public Schools
- Office website
- "Continue the Progress" slate campaign website
- "Continue the Progress" slate campaign Facebook page
Footnotes
- ↑ The Star-Ledger, "Longtime Elizabeth school board member, ex-president steps down," June 10, 2010
- ↑ The Star-Ledger, "Former controversial Elizabeth school board member returns to fill open seat," May 13, 2014
- ↑ Elizabeth Public Schools, "Rafael J. Fajardo," accessed September 16, 2014
- ↑ Elizabeth Public Schools, "Rafael J. Fajardo," accessed October 22, 2014
- ↑ New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission, "Standard Search," accessed October 15, 2014
- ↑ USA Today, "Federal super PACs spend big on local elections," February 25, 2014
- ↑ The Star-Ledger, "Elizabeth school board wants Super PACs out of local elections," March 27, 2014
| 2014 Elizabeth Public Schools Elections | |
| Union County, New Jersey | |
| Election date: | November 4, 2014 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Incumbent, Rafael Fajardo • Incumbent, Francisco González • Incumbent, Paul Perreira • Ana Maria Amin • Stefano Calella • Maria Z. Carvalho • Malik J. Jackson • Anthony Padlo • Virginia San Pedro |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
