On Tuesday, Richmond will vote to elect candidates to represent District 3 and District 4 on the City Council.
In District 3, which covers neighborhoods like Richmore Village, Coronado, and Pullman, Councilmember Doria Robinson is up against Brandon Evans.
To the east, District 4 Councilmember Soheila Bana, whose district includes eastern neighborhoods like May Valley, Greenridge Heights, and Greenbriar, is battling Keycha Gallon and Jamin Pursell in her reelection bid.
Candidates will have to secure a majority of the votes to be elected. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, the two candidates with the most votes in each race will continue campaigning, and voters will choose between the two on the November ballot.
Robinson worked with Richmond-based sustainable food system nonprofit Urban Tilth for almost two decades before being elected to the City Council in 2022.
In her campaign statement submitted to the city of Richmond, she said, “If reelected, I will continue working to expand affordable housing, create pathways off the street for our unhoused neighbors, rebuild the MLK Community Center, and revitalize Macdonald Avenue to restore pride and economic vitality.”
Evans, her opponent in the race, is a lifelong Richmond resident trained in urban studies and public leadership. According to his campaign website, he is a district representative for Contra Costa County District 5 Supervisor Shanelle Scales-Preston and has served on Richmond’s Economic Development Commission.
In his campaign statement, Evans said, “I believe Richmond must prioritize services for our young people and seniors, strengthen public safety, revitalize our downtown, and support small businesses.”
Bana, the District 4 councilmember, is an Iranian immigrant who earned her doctorate in electrical engineering at UC Berkeley before successfully running for City Council in 2022.
In her campaign statement, she said that she has advocated for immigrant rights, emergency preparedness, and a reduction in gun violence during her term.
Bana’s statement reads, “My priorities going forward: adequate police and firefighter staffing; safer, cleaner streets; better parks and dog parks; more workforce housing for teachers, nurses, police, and firefighters; a vibrant small business community; climate resiliency; and a more accountable city government.”
One of her challengers, Gallon, is a pharmacy technician who is also a gun violence survivor. She founded the nonprofit Keyz 2 The Future to provide resources to youth impacted by trauma and violence.
In her campaign statement, she lists opportunities for youth and economic stability as her main priorities.
“Our youth deserve pathways, not prisons,” Gallon said in her statement.
The third candidate in the District 4 race, Pursell, has served on the May Valley Neighborhood Council and founded the LGBTQ+ organization Richmond Rainbow Pride.
Pursell said in his campaign statement that if elected, he will support the construction of affordable housing projects and will prioritize making the city’s infrastructure safer.
“I know the redevelopment of the Hilltop Mall site is an important opportunity,” he said in the statement. “My commitment is to work with you to create retail, housing, and recreation spaces for those of us who live nearby, as well as increased tax revenue for the whole city.”