Rachell Reinwald Announces Bid for Open Elk Grove Unified School District Area 5 Seat
Calif. State Treasurer Fiona Ma-Endorsed Rachell Reinwald Joins Race for Open EGUSD Area 5 Board Seat
ELK GROVE, Calif. — Rachell Reinwald has announced her candidacy for the Elk Grove Unified School District Board of Education Area 5 seat, becoming the second candidate to enter the 2026 race to succeed longtime Trustee Beth Albiani, who has decided not to seek another four-year term.
Reinwald, a parent of three Elk Grove Unified School District graduates, said her campaign will focus on academic achievement, fiscal responsibility, and strengthening partnerships between schools, families, and the community.
According to her campaign website, Reinwald has been active in local schools and community organizations and is running on a platform centered on student success and accountability.
Her campaign has already secured a notable endorsement from Fiona Ma, California's state treasurer and a candidate for lieutenant governor in 2026. Reinwald's campaign website lists Ma among a growing group of supporters backing her bid for the nonpartisan school board seat.
Reinwald is the second candidate to formally enter the race. The first candidate to announce was Varinder Singh, a member of the Elk Grove Planning Commission appointed by Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen, who has also endorsed his candidacy.
The contest is expected to draw attention because it is one of the few open seats on the seven-member board. Albiani, who has represented Area 5 for more than a decade, announced earlier this year that she would not seek reelection in 2026, creating the first open race for the seat in years.
School board elections in Elk Grove Unified are conducted by trustee area, meaning only voters residing within Area 5 will be eligible to vote in the race. The district is California's largest K-12 school district north of Stockton and serves more than 60,000 students.
With several weeks before the candidate filing period closes, additional candidates could still enter the race. However, Reinwald's entry sets up an early contest between two candidates who already have support from prominent local and state elected officials.
The Area 5 election will appear on the November 2026 ballot.
