With the possibility of Chevron closing one day and a $550 million settlement from the refinery on the line: If you become mayor what’s your vision for Richmond’s future?
Richmond’s five mayoral candidates were asked that and more by moderators and attendees Wednesday night at CoBiz during the first of three Richmondside primary election forums.
With an estimated 100 people in the room and more than 160 joining a live video feed, mayoral candidates Ahmad Anderson, Claudia Jimenez, Demnlus Johnson, incumbent Eduardo Martinez and Mark Wassberg answered questions about how they’d solve various problems facing the city. The group discussed a number of popular election topics, including the $550 million Chevron settlement, public safety, alternatives to policing and why voters should choose them in the June 2 primary election.
Upcoming candidate forums
April 27: The Iron Triangle, Richmond/Metro Square, Coronado, and Park Plaza neighborhood councils will host the mayoral and city council District 3 candidates at a free forum, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Vibe Bistro, 1503 Macdonald Ave.
May 7: Richmondside District 3 council forum,Easter Hill United Methodist Church, 3911 Cutting Blvd., 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m., RSVP.
May 13: Richmondside District 4 council forum: May 13 at De Anza High School library, 5000 Valley Viw Road, 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. RSVP.
It’s an important election because it’s the first time the city has held a primary for local offices. There will only be a run-off if a candidate doesn’t win more than 50% of the vote so that means the winners could be decided in June.
The forum, held in partnership with UC Berkeley’s Richmond Confidential publication and The Advocate, the student-led newspaper at Contra Costa College, featured questions from journalists and residents followed by a community Q&A.
Candidates did not deviate from their usual talking points that have been expressed during other forums this election season.
Anderson, Johnson and Wassberg were critical of the two incumbents, both Richmond Progressive Alliance affiliates, District 6 council member Jimenez and Martinez. (Jimenez won the RPA endorsement over Martinez.) They both pointed to their individual accomplishments as evidence that voters should trust them to lead the city. Martinez has sat on the city council since 2014, and Jimenez is starting her sixth year in office, having been reelected to her seat in November 2024.
During their opening statement Anderson said he would take a “people-centered” approach to city leadership.
“I’m running because I’m concerned about leadership, integrity and accountability,” Anderson said, adding that his career in workforce development gives him the right perspective to improve a lack of housing in the region. He also mentioned improving perceptions that the city isn’t safe.
Jimenez said that she is running because the city is positioned to become a “city of the future.”
“I believe in a Richmond where people don’t just get by, but thrive,” Jimenez said, mentioning that she wants to modernize the city’s port for a “green economy” — a platform long touted by Martinez.
“The question is, who can deliver?” Jimenez added, pointing to her work on traffic safety measures and park renovations. “We have invested $6 million in traffic safety to improve our streets.”
Johnson, a fourth-generation resident and former city council member, said that he is the “rooted-in-Richmond candidate fighting for all residents.”
Martinez said he hopes to continue as mayor moving forward the “fantastic” work the city has been doing.
“I know how to bring people together, which is a major issue when you are heading the city of Richmond,” Martinez said, citing the solar lights installed on Carlson as one of his achievements. “We have made great advancements.”
Wassberg said that he had no plans to run until Martinez’s LinkedIn controversy happened. The mayor earlier this year came under fire and avoided a city council censure attempt after sharing conspiracy theories about the Bondi Beach massacre. (Martinez has since deleted his LinkedIn account.)
Wassberg added that he believes the other four candidates will split the votes, giving him a chance to advance to the November general election, which would be the case if no one gets at least 51% of the votes.
“I might get enough votes to just shoot up the middle,” Wassberg said as some in the audience chuckled, perhaps acknowledging that, as Wassberg himself often states, he runs for office often but never expects to win.
Candidates discuss an economy beyond Chevron refinery
A question submitted to Richmondside prior to the event delved into the candidates’ vision for an economic future beyond the estimated 24% that Chevron contributes to the city’s general fund.
Martinez said the city needs to try and “diversify” its economy, mentioning his hope that wind energy companies will start operating at the Richmond Port.
“The port can be an economic engine and we are trying to do things to make that happen,” Martinez said, adding that the city is currently evaluating improvements needed there. He said , since he’s been mayor two offshore wind energy companies were interested but acknowledged that there likely would be no clean energy projects moving forward while President Donald Trump is in office.
“But he’s not going to be president for long,” Martinez said optimistically, as some in the crowd clapped. “When we get a new president we will move forward in terms of offshore wind.”
June 2 primary key dates
— Ballots are mailed by county officials by May 4
— You can start dropping off your ballot as soon as you fill it out. (Click here for details and select “Official Ballot Drop Boxes” for a drop-down menu of secure outdoor locations.)
— Last day to register to vote is May 18
— Mail-in ballots must be postmarked on or before June 2
Wassberg said he believes if Chevron closes that the city is doomed.
“They (the current council) have some dumb idea that they are going to create all these green jobs that will take the place of Chevron but it is not going to work,” said Wassberg, who said he has worked at the refinery. “The port is not going to be able to hold up the city. These smaller (green) jobs are not going to be able to put revenue into the city. It’s going to take small, medium and multi-billion dollar companies to pay into the system.”
Anderson pointed to his time in workforce development, bringing manufacturing jobs like UPS and FedEx, as examples of his ability to bring revenue-generating jobs to the city.
“I also believe that we have an opportunity at Hilltop, to build an East Bay skills center,” Anderson said. “Developing a workforce, along with safety in our community where companies feel comfortable bringing their businesses here to be able to support the residents and the region.”
Jimenez said that the city’s leadership should have a “bold” modernization vision for the port that includes both electrification and bringing green manufacturing jobs to the area.
“Trying to bring these companies that go with our values,” she said, adding that she also looks at the Macdonald downtown corridor as an area for supporting businesses and creating housing.
Johnson said, because there are already a handful of areas suited for green manufacturing jobs, that the mayor needs to be able to recruit new businesses.
“Our three main sources of revenue the city has is our property tax, business tax and our utility user tax. We have to expand those sources of revenue through property tax, which means building more homes for purchase so that way we can get more money back from the county when it comes to our property taxes,” Johnson said, pointing to a number of corridors including Macdonald Avenue, Rumrill Avenue, San Pablo Avenue and San Pablo Dam Road, as places where the city could increase business taxes by bringing in new businesses.
What is one change needed for your vision for Richmond to become reality?
Another resident asked candidates to name one essential change they would make for their vision of Richmond to come to fruition in the next two years.
Anderson said residents need to feel safe in their community.
“The number one focus of my vision is a public health issue. Not feeling safe in your community doesn’t lead to being able to provide economic development which leads to workforce development,” Anderson said. “We don’t just need jobs. We need quality opportunities for careers to working families and provide benefits.”
Jimenez said that if elected she would focus on the Macdonald Avenue corridor. Jimenez, alongside Martinez and District 3 council member Doria Robinson, is part of a task force that was launched last year to address revitalizing the area.. It was initially born of an idea by District 1 council member Jamelia Brown to establish a merchant’s association similar to 23rd Street.
“Having the plan and having the projects in place to start making that vision. We are talking about short, middle, and long term,” Jimenez said. “The short term is that we are bringing forth some of these agenda items (for Macdonald). So in two years we will have more of that vision coming through to support the small businesses here and having to start the process for housing development.”
Johnson said that his vision would be using those two years to set up the city for the next two decades.
“I’m really focused on setting us up for Richmond 2050,” Johnson said. “Your next mayor is going to have to lead us through our General Plan. That General Plan is where we put into place the policies that talk about the housing, the business and infrastructure that we are going to have moving forward. To achieve those things, we need change at the top and that’s why I’m running. To make sure that we have the proper leadership to direct us through that.”
Martinez said if residents have noticed changes in the past four years, he is the leader who has been making it happen.
“You would know that we have the leadership to move us forward,” Martinez said, adding that he is interested in the Macdonald Avenue corridor and wants to make it a cultural destination. “We have the (Richmond) Renaissance which is looking at making it a cultural spot for music and the arts. I also want to pass a vacancy property tax which will force, will entice vacant property owners to improve their properties and these taxes … (and) will be used as a carrot or funds to help those property owners to improve their properties. It will be a win-win for not just the city of Richmond but the property owners.”
Wassberg said his vision would be getting “rid of the government we have right now in the city,” adding that the group’s policies on homeless intervention and services for undocumented residents is wrong.
“The RPA, they have to go. For the last 20 years they have supported people being criminals. Passing laws for those being criminals,” he said. “My vision is having a new government that is gonna respect the constitution laws and stop all the nonsense of crime and homelessness that is in our city.”
