Richmondside is partnering with two student journalism publications, the Richmond Confidential and The (Contra Costa College) Advocate, to host election forums so voters can hear from the candidates running for seats on the Richmond City Council in the June 2 primary election.
meet the candidates running for richmond City council district 3
Some journalism students from those publications volunteered to interview at random local residents about the the issues that are most important to them. Here’s what a few of them had to say.
Name: Aurin Canson
Occupation: Lyft driver
Neighborhood: Fleming Street
Canson said he plans to vote in the upcoming June 2 primary election.
Issues he’s concerned about: Illegal dumping and taxes
“Illegal dumping, they definitely do that a lot around here,” he said.
On taxes: “They need to stop taxing Richmond residents on so much stuff. I understand they need to clean the streets, but the street sweeps are killing me. I believe if you are a Richmond resident, you should pay less [street sweeping tickets].”
— Steffi Puerto, Richmond Confidential
Name: Edith Ramirez
Occupation: Works at UPS
Lives in: District 3, South 23rd Street area
Ramirez is not registered to vote.
Issues of concern: Car theft and crime
“I’d like for the [police] to do something about (car thefts). Because we don’t feel safe, leaving our cars parked on the street because of the fear that when we get up in the morning to go to work, the car won’t be there or that they have stolen the catalytic converter, which is a popular target.”
She said she’d like to see more police officers on duty at night.
“They should also install more security cameras. Especially at strategic locations in the city where they know there’s more crime.”
— Steffi Puerto, Richmond Confidential
Name: James Cameron
Occupation: Bartender
He’s a registered voter but not in Richmond
Lives in: District 4
Cameron said he moved to Richmond from Washington, D.C., six months ago.
Issues of concern: Wealth disparity, taxing the rich, public transportation, and potholes.
“ Let’s make the buses run more than once an hour so that I don’t have to skate all the way down the hill. Let’s expand public transportation,” he said. “ I skate and when I skate down the hill at Richmond Skate Park, it’s a very nice area where a lot of people can go. But the streets are covered in potholes. That is stuff that can be fixed by the general public works.”
— Grace McArty, Richmond Confidential
Name: Matt Renner
Occupation: Works in renewable energy
Renner is a registered voter and planning to vote.
Lives in: District 4 (unincorporated Contra Costa County)
He said he is supporting candidate Claudia Jimenez in the upcoming mayoral race.
“I want Claudia to be our next mayor. She has exactly the right temperament to stand up for working people and to get things done for our city.”
Issues of concern: Renner said he thinks Richmond is doing a good job of planning its transition to a fossil-fuel free economy.
“I think that Richmond has an opportunity to build a lot of green housing and social housing. There are a lot of people who need stable rents,” he said, pointing out that the city’s Black community has been pushed out by gentrification and high housing costs.
“There’s a lot of effort to keep that from happening, but that needs focus,” he said.
— Grace McArty, Richmond Confidential
Coming soon and more election news
RSVP today for the May 7 forum with the candidates running for Richmond City Council District 3. If you want to attend the District 4 forum, RSVP here. Not sure which district you live in? Check out the city’s voting boundaries map.
Visit our voters guide for everything you need to know to cast your ballot in the city’s first ever primary election on June 2.
