Election 2026

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Jacky Elizalde Wants District 2’s Seat. What Would She Change?

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Updated 10/21/2026 9:55 am PST

District 2 Candidate Jacky Elizalde is campaigning on emergency response, everyday services and budget scrutiny. Her proposals deserve the same close reading as the incumbent’s record.

Jacky Elizalde has already come close to taking Victor Preciado’s seat. In November 2022, she received 1,109 votes to his 1,216. The margin was 107 votes. She returns to the District 2 contest with experience around government and a platform built around services residents use every day. [1]

Her campaign describes her as a longtime Pomona resident, mother, labor advocate and former congressional district representative. She is challenging an incumbent, but she has worked inside government herself. The April 2024 Congressional Directory lists Jacqueline Elizalde as a field representative in U.S. Representative Norma Torres’s Ontario district office. [2][8]

Her earlier work included county services. An October 2020 Campus Times profile, published during her run for Pomona mayor, reported that she worked for San Bernardino County’s Human Services Department, helping families living in poverty with housing and grants. The same profile described human trafficking as one of her campaign concerns; the issue remains part of her 2026 safety platform. [4][9]

Mt. San Antonio College independently lists Jacqueline Elizalde as a Pomona at-large representative on its Citizens’ Oversight Committee. The committee monitors the proper use of campus construction bond money and informs the public about those expenditures. Its members are appointed by the college’s trustees. [3]

Ms. Elizalde’s labor support deserves consideration beyond the addresses on campaign checks. The Census Bureau estimates for 2020–2024 show that 79.7% of Pomona residents age 25 and older do not possess a bachelor’s degree, while 26.5% lack a high school diploma or equivalent. Access to training and jobs with decent wages and benefits deserves attention in that context. Her campaign lists endorsements from the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor and numerous construction unions, including plumbers, ironworkers, electricians and carpenters. A union’s office address does not establish where its members live. The city of Pomona’s proposed project labor agreement concerns wages, benefits, dispute resolution and opportunities for local workers. As for the incumbent Victor Preciado, the question is what he has done to move that proposal toward adoption. Expressing his support for a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) and delivering an enforceable agreement are different measures of his record.

Her public-safety platform gives voters a specific proposal to examine: making the reopening of Fire Station 181 a priority. She also calls for improved emergency response, neighborhood partnerships and pedestrian safety. Her published safety page does not supply a reopening cost, staffing plan or timetable. Those details would help residents judge what she could deliver. [4]

Her public-services proposals concern ordinary problems: maintained park restrooms, repaired streets, working lights and an accessible library. These commitments are easy to understand. They still require budgets, staff and decisions about which work happens first. [5]

In an Inland Valley Daily Bulletin candidate questionnaire, Elizalde grouped homelessness, housing affordability and public safety among the city’s connected problems. She supported a mix of housing options, including paths to ownership; said warehouses have a purpose but should not be overconcentrated in any community; and said local government should uphold the law while protecting residents and staying in contact with county, state and federal officials on immigration. The answers establish a direction, but not measurable targets or an implementation plan. [12]

Regarding finances, Elizalde proposes an annual, in-depth forensic review of the City’s budget. She also calls for eliminating spending that no longer serves a clear purpose and pursuing outside funding. Her fiscal platform does not identify particular cuts or explain the proposed review’s scope and cost. A promise to reduce waste becomes more useful when a candidate identifies the waste. [6]

However, her own public-service record also requires scrutiny. The City’s August staff report described three unexcused Parks and Recreation Commission absences in 2026. A July 16 motion recommending her removal failed on a 3–3 vote. Councilmember Elizabeth Ontiveros-Cole, who had appointed her, then requested council consideration. On August 3, the Council removed Elizalde in a 5–0 vote. Preciado recused himself; Mayor Tim Sandoval was absent. [7][10]

Elizalde addressed the absences in an August 26 campaign statement. She said some involved childcare responsibilities and caring for a sick child, and accused the Council of treating her differently from other commissioners. Her statement acknowledged the Council’s independent removal authority under the Charter. Those are her explanations and allegations, rather than a City finding about its motives. [11]

The attendance record and her explanation belong together. Voters can assess both while asking how she would manage the demands of a council seat. The Council’s handling of her removal does not answer that question for her.

Elizalde’s campaign offers proposals voters can question directly: how to improve emergency response, maintain public spaces and examine City spending. Winning an argument against the incumbent would only get her into the seat. Carrying out those proposals would be the job.


Editor’s note: The Pomonan invited both District 2 candidates to submit an op ed or participate in a written interview. Neither responded by the stated deadline. Their positions are drawn from public records, campaign materials and published questionnaires.

The Pomonan is an independent publication of essays, criticism, photography, and cultural commentary.

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Victor Preciado Wants Four More Years. District 2 Has a Record to Judge

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The incumbent, Victor Preciado is campaigning on neighborhood improvements and community work. The question is what another term would deliver.

Victor Preciado’s campaign website calls its accomplishments section “The Receipts.” After nearly eight years on the Pomona City Council, that is a reasonable place to start.

First elected in 2018, Preciado is asking District 2 to keep him in office against a familiar opponent: Jacqueline “Jacky” Elizalde. Their November 2022 race ended with 1,216 votes for Preciado and 1,109 for Elizalde. He won by 107 votes. District 2 has already demonstrated that keeping him is an argument, not a formality. [1][2]

Preciado’s political identity rests heavily on neighborhood work. ActiveSGV, which honored him in 2022, described his involvement in pandemic grocery deliveries and the monthly CommUnity Pull Up resource fairs. Its account credited volunteers and community organizations alongside the councilmember. The work extended beyond an election-season appearance. [2]

That record gives voters something concrete to assess: whether those services reached them, whether they continued and whether City Hall became easier to deal with.

His reelection campaign highlights park improvements and street repairs. Its next-term priorities include affordable housing, transportation and youth mentorship. These are familiar municipal promises. An incumbent has to explain what remains unfinished and why another four years would change it. [3]

In an Inland Valley Daily Bulletin candidate questionnaire, Preciado called affordability the top issue facing District 2. He supported increasing housing supply for renters and prospective homeowners, backed modern logistics projects that meet higher environmental standards while opposing unchecked warehouse expansion, and said City resources should not be used to assist federal immigration enforcement. The positions are clearer than the broad themes on his campaign site, although they still leave questions about the ordinances, funding and votes he would pursue. [10]

Preciado also represents Pomona on Foothill Transit’s governing board. That gives him a regional role in a service residents depend on to reach work, school and appointments. Voters can reasonably ask which service improvements he intends to pursue and how he would measure success. [4]

His campaign’s language sometimes gives him personal credit for public work. The park claim is especially broad: the site says he revitalized every park in District 2. Voters should be able to match that claim to individual parks, completed work and funding sources. A councilmember can help advance a project; staff, taxpayers, outside agencies and the rest of the council also have roles. [3]

The next term needs an explanation of its own: which repairs remain, which housing proposals he would bring forward and what residents would receive that they are not receiving now.

Community events can be useful public service. Residents also need a government that answers between events, explains its decisions and makes its spending understandable. An incumbent asking for another term should be prepared to discuss both.

His campaign donors include a company that does business with the City. As The Pomonan previously reported, Athens Services contributed $499 to Preciado’s campaign on January 30, 2026. Athens holds Pomona’s exclusive franchise for residential and commercial trash collection. The company residents pay to haul their trash also helped finance the incumbent’s reelection campaign. [5]

His record also includes votes for Flock cameras. On December 18, 2023, Preciado joined a 7–0 vote accepting an $860,000 state grant and authorizing a sole-source lease of Flock cameras and related services. On September 16, 2024, he joined a 6–0 vote authorizing another Flock camera purchase of up to $500,000; Councilmember Robert Torres was absent. Both actions were approved through the consent calendar. [6][7]

On February 23, 2026, Preciado also joined the 7–0 vote adopting Resolution No. 2026-22, placing a proposal to amend Measure Y before voters in June. That proposal became Measure Z. It sought to repeal the youth funding measure’s Charter provisions and replace them with Municipal Code provisions. His campaign emphasizes youth mentorship; his record also includes voting to put that rewrite on the ballot. [8][9]

Preciado’s case for reelection rests on work he can point to and relationships he has built. District 2’s decision is whether that record adds up to enough—and whether his next-term plans are specific enough to warrant four more years.

REFERENCES

1. Los Angeles County, November 2022 final official election results, page 85.

2. ActiveSGV, August 31, 2022 award profile. This is an award citation from an organization recognizing him, rather than an independent audit of his record.

3. Victor Preciado campaign website. Accomplishments and future priorities attributed to the campaign are campaign claims.

4. Foothill Transit governing boards.

5. The Pomonan, Who Is Funding Pomona’s District 2 Council Race?. Previously published reporting identifying the Athens contribution and franchise relationship.

6. December 18, 2023 final City Council minutes, pages 2–3 and 5–6: attendance, consent-calendar vote and Item 7, Resolution No. 2023-239.

7. September 16, 2024 final City Council minutes, pages 2 and 8: attendance and Item 5, Flock purchase authorization.

8. February 23, 2026 final City Council minutes, pages 2 and 9–10: attendance and Item 13, Resolution No. 2026-22.

9. City of Pomona, Measure Z, identifying Resolution No. 2026-22 as the measure text.

10. Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, May 5, 2026, Preciado primary-election candidate questionnaire.

Editor’s note: The Pomonan invited both District 2 candidates to submit an op ed or participate in a written interview. Neither responded by the stated deadline. Their positions are drawn from public records, campaign materials and published questionnaires.

The Pomonan is an independent publication of essays, criticism, photography, and cultural commentary.

Who Speaks for District 2?

Victor Preciado and Jacky Elizalde are campaigning to represent Pomona City Council District 2. Here is what they are emphasizing, and how residents can participate in The Pomonan’s reader poll.

Pomona voters will return to the polls on November 3 to decide who represents District 2 on the City Council.

Incumbent Victor Preciado and challenger Jacky Elizalde advanced from the June primary. Preciado received 1,154 votes, or 45.38 percent. Elizalde received 840 votes, or 33.03 percent. Samantha Zavala-Angulo finished third with 549 votes, or 21.59 percent.

Neither remaining candidate is presenting the race as a dramatic ideological break. Both are campaigning on familiar municipal concerns: public safety, housing, infrastructure, city services and opportunities for young people. The differences may be found less in the subjects they discuss than in their experience, priorities and proposed approach to governing.

Preciado is the incumbent and has served on the Pomona City Council since 2018.

His campaign points to work involving parks, neighborhood infrastructure, food distribution, small-business assistance and youth mentorship. For another term, Preciado says he wants to continue focusing on transportation and infrastructure, expand housing opportunities—including affordable and inclusionary housing—and support programs for young people.

Elizalde is challenging Preciado with a campaign centered on public safety, reliable city services and greater fiscal accountability.

Her stated priorities include addressing homelessness and human trafficking, improving housing affordability, supporting seniors and young people, encouraging economic development and expanding after-school programs. Elizalde has also emphasized transparent, measurable city spending and identifying additional revenue before considering higher taxes. Which candidate currently has the support of The Pomonan’s readers?

This is an informal, voluntary reader poll. It is not a scientific survey or an election forecast. Respondents are not independently verified as registered voters or District 2 residents, and the results should not be interpreted as representative of the District 2 electorate.


The Pomonan will continue following the candidates and the issues shaping the race before Election Day.

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The Pomonan editorial board consists of opinion journalists whose perspectives are shaped by their expertise, research, discussions, and established principles. This board operates independently from the newsroom.