Richmond voters will cast ballots in a mayoral run-off election on Nov. 3 to choose who will sit at the center of the city council dias. Credit: David Buechner for Richmondside

This story was updated to correct the link to the city’s council district map.

On June 2, Richmond voters will cast their ballots in the city’s first-ever primary election. We wanted to give voters a chance to prepare for this important election by asking questions and hearing from the candidates directly.

Richmondside candidate forums

  • District 3 council forum: May 7, Easter Hill United Methodist Church, 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m., RSVP.
  • District 4 council forum: May 13, De Anza High School library, 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. RSVP.
  • The mayoral forum was April 22. Watch a recording of it and read more about it.

Richmondside is partnering with Richmond Confidential, a publication of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, and The Advocate, the student-led newspaper at Contra Costa College, to co-host and moderate three election forums. Next up: The city council forums for the contested races, Districts 3 and 4, will be held May 7 and May 13, respectively. (The mayoral forum was April 22. You can watch a recording of it.)

Candidates will briefly present their platforms and take questions from local journalists and audience members. The forums are free and open to all. Spanish interpretation will be available on site, upon request. The forums will also be live-streamed on richmondside.org.

Have questions for the candidates? We want to hear from you

If you have questions for the candidates please use the form below to share them. We’ll review the questions and ask some of them at the events. Unsure which council district you live in? Check the city’s district map.

District 3 questions

District 4 questions

How does the primary election work?

Incumbent Richmond City Council District 4 city council member Soheila Bana (left) is defending her seat against challengers Keycha Gallon (center) and Jamin Pursell (right). Courtesy of the candidates
Brandon Evans (left) is running against incumbent Doria Robinson in the Richmond City Council District 3 race in the June 2 primary election. Robinson’s photo was taken by David Buechner for Richmondside. Evans’ is courtesy of the candidate Credit: Courtesy of Brandon Evans/David Buechner for Richmondside

For the primary election, only the top two vote-getters in races where no one wins a majority will advance to a run-off in the November general election. If a candidate receives more than 50% of the votes in the primary, they will win and that race won’t be on the general election ballot. 

There are two candidates competing in District 3 (Doria Robinson and Brandon Evans). In District 4, Soheila Bana is defending her seat against Jamin Pursell and Keycha Gallon. (District 2 incumbent candidate Cesar Zepeda is running unopposed, so will win by default.) There could still be write-in candidates for any of the races, and the filing period for that ends on May 19.

More election info and resources

Get full coverage of the June 2 primary election with Richmondside’s 2026 Voter Guide.

Key dates: Mail-in ballots will be sent around May 4. The last day to register to vote is May 18. The election is June 2.

Learn more: Visit the city’s election page for additional details and to read candidate statements. Unsure which council district you live in? Check the city’s district map.

We look forward to seeing you at these events and to helping you learn more about who is competing to represent you at City Hall.

Related stories

Kari Hulac is the Editor-in-Chief of Richmondside.

What I cover: As Editor-in-Chief, I oversee all of Richmondside's journalism.

My background: A Bay Area resident for most of my life, and an East Bay reporter and editor for 13 years, I have worn many hats in a journalism career spanning more than 25 years. I held several editorial leadership positions at the Bay Area News Group between 1997 and 2010, including editor of The (Hayward) Daily Review and features editor of The Oakland Tribune. I was a senior editor and assistant West Coast Editorial Director at local online news network Patch, and in 2015 worked as part-time breaking news editor at Bay City News.

I started my career as an education reporter in Corvallis, Ore., and still love writing feature stories today. When I'm not leading the newsroom, you might find me swimming in the bay, hiking the East Bay hills or headed out for a camping trip.

Join the Conversation

2 Comments

  1. Reply
    1. Reply
Leave a comment
Richmondside welcomes thoughtful and relevant discussion on this content. Please review our comments policy before posting a comment. Thanks!

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *