Richmond’s candidate filing period for the upcoming June primary election opened on Monday as two new candidates recently declared they’ll be running for council seats in two of the three district races.
This is the city’s first primary election. In 2024, Richmond voters adopted Measure J, also known as the Richmond Election Reform Act, which changed the way elections are held by establishing a primary election for city electeds.
This means that a candidate for mayor or city council who gets 50% or more of the votes cast in their race will win the seat. If no candidate meets that threshold, there will be a run-off election between the race’s top two candidates in the November election, where the top vote-getter will win.
Candidates hoping to run for Richmond’s city council or mayoral races in the June 2 primary have until 5 p.m. on March 6 to file their nomination papers with City Clerk Pamela Christian. They are also required to be registered voters residing in their respective districts at the time nomination papers are issued.
West county voters will also be choosing a new Contra Costa County Office of Education superintendent of schools, as the current leader, Lynn Mackey, is reportedly not seeking reelection after 30 years with the office. Because she’s not running, candidates have until March 11 to file, according to the Contra Costa County elections office.
In Richmond, mayoral candidates must pay $1,674 to file, while council candidates pay $605.88 — fees that reflect 2% of the annual salaries for the seats. Signature requirements have also changed for mayoral races, now requiring 30 to 40 registered voter signatures from anywhere in Richmond, while council candidates need 20 to 30 signatures from residents of their districts.
State campaign finance rules say that candidates must file FPPC Form 501 before accepting contributions or spending personal funds. Form 410 must be filed after they receive a minimum of $2,000.
Since the filing period opened on Monday, Mayor Eduardo Martinez, mayoral challenger Ahmad Anderson, District 4 incumbent Soheila Bana and her challenger Keycha Gallon have been issued nomination papers, according to the city’s website.
Two new first-time candidates recently announce intent to run
Manmeet Matthew Singh, a 21-year-old Contra Costa College student, announced he’s joining the District 3 race against incumbent Doria Robinson and another first-time council candidate, Brandon Evans, for a chance to represent portions of the city’s south side, including the southern part of the Iron Triangle, Atchinson Village, Pullman, Coronado, Richmore Village/Metro Square and the Park Plaza neighborhoods.
According to his website, he describes himself as a lifelong Richmond resident who left to live in Fiji with his mother for a while, returning in 2022. He said that building his life back up when he returned helped him “deeper understand” the city.
“Richmond still has room to grow,” Singh states on his website. “We can strengthen our climate resilience, make our streets safer, and ensure that every voice is heard. These challenges are opportunities to build a city that reflects our values and prepares for the future.”
Key election info
How to vote: The last day to register to vote in the June 2, primary election is May 18. The last day to register to vote in the Nov. 3 general election is Oct. 19.
Which district am I in? Find your voting district here.
For more info: Visit the city’s election site or the Contra Costa County elections office.
Singh said that he is running to “serve Richmond, to amplify the concerns of our people, and to craft solutions that honor both our history and our potential.”
In a phone call with Richmondside on Wednesday, Singh said he has already been canvassing the district and is hoping to focus on civic engagement during his campaign.
In District 2, which consists of the Point Richmond, Parchester Village, Santa Fe and Hilltop District neighborhoods, first-time city council candidate and Jewish Voices for Peace (JVP) founder Rob Lipton, a vocal supporter of Mayor Eduardo Martinez in the aftermath of controversy regarding his LinkedIn reposts of Bondi Beach conspiracy theories, plans to challenge incumbent Cesar Zepeda, one of the authors of the proposed censure of the mayor last month.
When Richmondside reached out to Lipton about his candidacy, he confirmed it but did not elaborate any further.
“It’s in development,” Lipton wrote in a Facebook message to this reporter. “Lots happening, more soon.”
On his Facebook page he describes himself as “Poet, founding board member Jewish Voice for Peace, spatial epidemiologist.” According to the Jewish Museum of the Palestine Experience, he is a former Richmond poet laureate.
In the race for District 4, which includes the neighborhoods of Hilltop Village, Hilltop Green, Fairmede Hilltop, Quail Hill, Greenridge Heights, May Valley, El Sobrante Hills, Greenbriar, Castro Heights and the Carriage Hills North and South, incumbent Bana is being challenged by Gallon and former Richmond Progressive Alliance candidate Jamin Pursell, who she beat for the seat in 2022. He has since separated ties with the progressive organization.
Martinez, who is attempting his first mayoral reelection, is also being challenged by Demnlus Johnson and Mark Wassberg.
Correction: A previous version of this article stated that Manmeet Matthew Singh’s age was 23 years old. It has since been corrected to show he is 21 years old.
Was there a reason you did not reach out to Brandon Evans for this article?
Hi Kip, We spoke to Brandon (and other previously announced candidates) in our November article linked to at the end of this story and we will be doing more stories about all of them once the filing period ends.