Richmond is a city of contrasts. While the city hosts one of the largest oil companies in the world, Chevron, it also holds the title as America’s largest city controlled by the Green Party. Since 2006, Mayor Gayle McLaughlin’s Richmond Progressive Alliance has pushed for the highest minimum wage in California and created an ambitious plan to rescue underwater mortgages.
The balance of power could change soon. On November 4th, Richmonders will elect a new mayor and direction for the city.
In late September, Richmond’s three mayoral candidates met for a debate sponsored by the League of Women Voters. There was an overflow crowd to see Tom Butt, Nat Bates, and Uche Uwahemu. The three-candidate field is small compared with the 15 people running to be mayor of Oakland, but the small field doesn’t properly reflect the enormity of the upcoming election.
Uche Uwahemu
Jordan Mason is one of many Richmonders volunteering for Uwahemu’s campaign. Mason says he supports Uche, because he likes his beliefs and the way he supports local communities. Jordan is only 16 and isn’t old enough to vote for Uwahemu just yet, but some of his peers can. One reason Richmond youth are turning out to support Uwahemu is due to his youth-centered platform that revolves around employing Richmond’s young adults. Specifically, he wants to bring a tech incubator to Richmond and provide computer skills for Richmond’s youth. It’s a platform Uwahemu is stressing to distinguish himself from more familiar and politically established opponents.
Nat Bates
Nat Bates has been involved in Richmond politics since 1967, and he says he’s qualified to cut Richmond’s 9.9% unemployment rate. To accomplish this, Bates intends to attract businesses by becoming an easier and faster place to get a permit. Bates call this a “one-stop-shop”.
“You have to create a business friendly climate, of which this city does not have,” he says.
One of the businesses Bates wants to create a friendlier climate for is Chevron. The company is the city’s largest employer and has contributed almost $3 million to Richmond’s local election.
Tom Butt
Tom Butt has worked in Richmond’s City Hall for nearly 20 years. He’s been endorsed by current Mayor Gayle McLaughlin’s Richmond Progressive Alliance. Some are hoping Butt will continue the RPA’s progressive streak, but he’s avoided that rhetoric throughout his campaign. Butt is an architect and has centered his campaign on infrastructure, public safety, and quality of life issues. It’s what he calls “nuts and bolts”.
“In Richmond, what we focused on, and I think what is most important, is improving the quality of life in Richmond. And that includes public safety. If we do that, businesses want to come here. Particularly small businesses,” says Butt.
As a current member of Richmond’s city council, Butt is running on recent successes in Richmond. Most noticeably, he says, is successfully drawing an extension of the Lawrence Berkeley Lab.
“Richmond is not a city that needs to be fixed. We have a lot of problems that need to be addressed. But let me tell you, we’re making huge improvements in the quality of life in Richmond. We just need to keep going,” says Butt.
The lack of a defining debate
Unfortunately, at this debate and other mayoral debates, all three candidates spoke in generalities and political platitudes. There was lack of depth in responses, and moderators failed to push back to elicit more concrete examples of how each candidate will strengthen Richmond. This frustrated many attendees and will be a difficult task for Richmond voters to overcome as they make their choice. But one thing is definite: in this city of contrasts, the next mayor will eventually have to answer the tough questions.
