Rusty Bailey

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Rusty Bailey

Nonpartisan

Prior offices

Riverside City Council Ward 3

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Mayor of Riverside

Successor: Patricia Lock Dawson

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Report an officeholder change

Education

Bachelor's

United States Military Academy

Graduate

University of California, Los Angeles

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Army

Personal

Profession

Teacher

Contact

Personal website

Rusty Bailey was the Mayor of Riverside in California. Bailey assumed office in 2012. Bailey left office on December 8, 2020.

Bailey ran for re-election for Mayor of Riverside in California. Bailey won in the general election on June 7, 2016.

Before becoming mayor, Bailey served on the Riverside City Council from 2007 to 2012, representing Ward 3.

On September 3, 2019, Bailey announced he would not seek re-election in 2020.

Biography

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Bailey received a B.A. in political science from the United States Military Academy at West Point and an M.A. in public policy from the University of California, Los Angeles. He served in the United States Army as a helicopter pilot, platoon leader, and company executive officer. His professional experience includes working for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, as a legislative aid, and as a high school government teacher.

Elections

2016

The following candidates ran in the general election for Mayor of Riverside.

Mayor of Riverside, General Election, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Rusty Bailey Incumbent	65.51%	14,091
Paul Davis	17.46%	3,756
Nancy Melendez	8.27%	1,780
Vivian Moreno	4.19%	901
Patrick Small	3.55%	763
Sally Martinez	1.02%	220
Total Votes		21,511
Source: Riverside, California, "City Clerk: June 7, 2016 - Election Results," accessed June 8, 2016

2012

On November 6, 2012, Bailey defeated Ed Atkinson in the general election for Mayor of Riverside. He defeated a total of six challengers in a primary election on June 5, 2012.

Mayor of Riverside, General Election, 2012
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Rusty Bailey	58.2%	47,098
Ed Atkison	41.8%	33,889
Total Votes		80,987
Source: Riverside County Registrar of Voters - 2012 General Election Results

Mayor of Riverside, Primary Election, 2012
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Rusty Bailey	32.6%	10,112
Ed Atkison	26.9%	8,345
Mike Gardner	16.6%	5,144
Andy Melendrez	14.4%	4,461
Dvonne Pitruzzello	3.7%	1,138
Aurora Chavez	3.6%	1,123
Peter Benavidez	2.2%	668
Total Votes		29,200
Source: Riverside County Registrar of Voters - 2012 Primary Election Results

Campaign themes

2016

Bailey provided the following statements on his campaign website:

“	Promoting Job Creation Bringing new well-paid jobs and careers to the community is the top priority for the city’s continued success. In 2014, Riverside added over 4,000 jobs—showing one of the fastest rates of job growth in the country. This positive momentum must continue by maintaining a positive job climate for small businesses and entrepreneurs so companies can continue to employ more workers. The opening of the UC Riverside Medical School will open future opportunities for growth in the health care sector and the completion of the $43 million modernization of the convention center has increased visitors coming into the city. Smart policies to incentivize growth through natural strengths in the local economy must continue. Vision for Riverside’s Future Riverside has exceptional potential just waiting to be unleashed. Projects to promote economic development by connecting the city to our college campuses and their 60,000 students through transportation choices and increasing the number of restaurant options in downtown are just a few of the opportunities for our future. Further development of renewable energy, more bike-friendly streets, and new parks and entertainment facilities will help grow Riverside into a world-class city. Preserving wise investments into public safety and safe streets, innovative educational partnerships, and balanced budgets form the foundation of Riverside’s future success. Delivering Strong Leadership and Transparency Mayor Bailey’s West Point education and background as an Army Officer has guided his approach as an elected official to be solution-focused and an independent voice for the community. His consensus-based approach to issues has allowed the city to maintain a balanced budget, support negotiations to place the Ontario Airport back under Inland Empire control, and develop a comprehensive plan for ending veteran homelessness. Bailey’s leadership led to the creation of a new online portal which allows the public to easily review city spending and other records—greatly improving transparency for taxpayers and connections between citizens and elected officials.	”
—Rusty Bailey's campaign website (2016)

Noteworthy events

Events and activity following the death of George Floyd

See also: Events following the death of George Floyd and responses in select cities from May 29-31, 2020

Bailey was mayor of Riverside during the weekend of May 29-31, 2020, when events and activity took place in cities across the U.S. following the death of George Floyd. Events in Riverside, California, began on Saturday, May 30, 2020, on Tyler St. No curfews were issued. The national guard was not deployed.

To read more about the death of George Floyd and subsequent events, click [show] to the right.

On May 25, 2020, Minneapolis police officers arrested Floyd, a Black man, after receiving a call that he had made a purchase with a counterfeit $20 bill. Floyd died after Derek Chauvin, a white officer, arrived at the scene and pressed his knee onto Floyd's neck as Floyd laid face-down on the street in handcuffs. Both the Hennepin County Medical Examiner and an independent autopsy conducted by Floyd's family ruled Floyd's death as a homicide stemming from the incident. The medical examiner's report, prepared by Dr. Michael Baden and Dr. Allecia Wilson, said that it was "not a legal determination of culpability or intent, and should not be used to usurp the judicial process." On April 20, 2021, Chauvin was found guilty of murder and manslaughter in relation to Floyd's death. Floyd's death was filmed and shared widely, leading to activity regarding racism, civil rights, and police use of force. The first events took place in Minneapolis-St. Paul on May 26. An event in Chicago organized by Chance the Rapper and Rev. Michael Pfleger took place the same day, making it the first major city outside of Minneapolis to host an event in response to Floyd's death.

Notable endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.

Notable candidate endorsements by Rusty Bailey

Endorsee	Election	Stage	Outcome
Michael Bloomberg  source	President of the United States (2020)	Primary	Withdrew in Convention

See also

• Riverside, California
• Municipal elections in Riverside, California (2016)
• United States municipal elections, 2016

External links

Suggest a link

• Search Google News for this topic
• Campaign website
• Campaign Facebook page
• Twitter

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Ron Loveridge	Mayor of Riverside 2012-2020	Succeeded by Patricia Lock Dawson