Election 2026: Richmond mayoral race pits veteran against political scion

RICHMOND — There are two notable candidates who want to serve as this industrial town’s next mayor. One of them, Claudia Jimenez, has been a progressive councilmember for six years. Both the mother and father of Jimenez’ challenger, Ahmad Anderson, previously served as Richmond’s mayor in decades past.

If elected mayor, Anderson said he’d draw from his experience as a human resources professional and his decades of service on various local advocacy groups, including the Richmond Economic Development Commission.

“There are attributes of insight and knowledge that I bring to the table that no one has,” Anderson, who first ran for a seat on the Richmond council in 1985, told Bay Area News Group.

“This is about the work Ahmad has put into the city of Richmond. I’ve sat on more boards than most of the people on that council since 1985, before they even thought about running for council. Ahmad Anderson has been here and put in the work, and that’s a fact.”

Jimenez, 53, received the most votes in June’s primary, at 38.56%. She was first elected to the council to represent District 6 in 2020, and was reelected in 2024. Her current term is set to expire in 2029.

“I’m not running on promises of what we should do, I’m running on building on the work we’ve already done and can do more,” Jimenez told Bay Area News Group.

“There is a lot of need in the community. The reason I am running for mayor is because I believe my leadership is delivering things for people.”

She touted her own record and added that Richmond’s financial outlook has improved enough for the California State Auditor to remove the city from a list of jurisdictions with at-risk designations.

Additionally, the city added dozens of new municipal employees, improving the city’s capacity to provide services, she said. During her tenure, capital improvements have advanced, including renovating the Richmond Main Library.

The city also helped work out deals that will turn the former Point Molate Naval Fuel Depot into a public park under the stewardship of the East Bay Regional Park District, and bring in $550 million over a ten-year period following a 2024 settlement with the Chevron Richmond Refinery.

Those initiatives were achieved, she said, because of the community-focused work of current Richmond lawmakers and collaboration with labor groups and nonprofits, many of which have endorsed her for mayor.

“I don’t single-handedly do anything but I have been part of all of this work that has led to where we are now,” Jimenez said.

“This is why running, I want the opportunity to lead with everybody through the next chapter of what Richmond can be.”

For his part, Anderson described many recent council and city initiatives as “great,” but said the settlement from Chevron is one-time funding and other key issues aren’t being adequately addressed. As an example, he pointed to the largely-vacant Hilltop Mall, and what he called, a “tumbleweed of a downtown.”

The political neophyte said Richmond’s city council should be looking for new long-term revenue that doesn’t come from taxes. Anderson also called for courting new businesses into the region, finding ways to “cut red tape” for small businesses and boosting affordable housing development.

While Jimenez has legislative experience, Anderson argued his background makes him qualified for the job.

“Those skillsets they use currently are skillsets they learned on the job,” he said. “What [Claudia Jimenez] has learned, I too can learn.”

Some big names in regional and local politics seem to agree.

On Anderson’s extensive list of endorsements are U.S. Rep. John Garamendi, D-Richmond; State Sen. Jesse Arreguin, D-Berkeley; State Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, D-Oakland; and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, who previously served on the Richmond City Council, among others.

Jimenez has her own long list of endorsements, including Supervisor John Gioia, Vice Mayor Doria Robinson, Councilmember Sue Wilson, Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas and San Francisco Supervisor Jackie Fielder. Former Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin has also endorsed Jimenez, along with former councilmembers Jovanka Beckles and Melvin Willis.

She also shared gratitude for the unions and local organizations supporting her, like Richmond Firefighters Local 188, United Teachers of Richmond, Asian Pacific Environmental Network Action and Communities for a Better Environment.

Both candidates have individually raised similar sums in local contributions. According to latest campaign finance filings, Jimenez has received $111,310 to date, while Anderson has pulled in $108,095.

“It’s really exciting how the campaign has generated trust and confidence of many organizations and people,” Jimenez said.

“These are organizations that represent workers that live and work in Richmond, that work with residents of Richmond, so that makes me really happy to feel that support from different parts of the political spectrum.”