Getting your
Trinity Audioplayer ready...RICHMOND — Early results show Councilmember Claudia Jimenez and political legacy Ahmad Anderson leading in the race for Richmond mayor.
Five candidates are vying for the seat: incumbent Eduardo Martinez; Councilmember Claudia Jimenez, a progressive ally of Martinez; conservative retiree Mark Wassberg; former Richmond Councilmember Demnlus Johnson III; and political scion Ahmad Anderson.
Early results Tuesday night showed Jimenez in the lead with 34% of the vote, followed by Anderson with 29.37%, Martinez with 21.9%, Johnson with 9.22%, and Wassberg with 5.51%.
If no candidate earns more than 50% of the vote in the June 2 primary, the top two will continue to the November election. Both Jimenez and Martinez ran on what they said are records of fighting for improved city finances, holding Chevron accountable through a $550 million settlement and advocating for the community’s most underserved.
But Martinez’s reputation has been plagued by sharp criticism and demands for him to step down following pro-Palestinian social media posts that he later acknowledged contained antisemitic material.
He apologized for posts that came to light at the end of 2025 and agreed to participate in antisemitism training and meet with local rabbis. But the Richmond Progressive Alliance, a political organization of which both are members, endorsed Jimenez over Martinez once she announced her campaign in February.
Meanwhile, Anderson, Johnson, and Wassberg have ran as alternatives to the status quo. Both Anderson and Johnson said they would focus on driving up city revenue while finding efficiencies in existing city services. Diversifying revenue would make the city less dependent on Chevron, they said.
Running in a separate race for the District 3 seat is incumbent Doria Robinson, who serves as executive director of environmental nonprofit Urban Tilth; and Brandon Evans, CEO of Men and Women of Purpose, a social services organization fighting recidivism.
Latest results show Robinson leading with 68.96% of the vote and Evans with 31.04%. The winner will go on to represent residents living in the city’s core.
District 4 incumbent Councilmember Soheila Bana is also running for reelection against small business owner Jamin Pursell and Kaycha Gallon, executive director of Keyz 2 the Future, a nonprofit providing support for young people impacted by gun violence. They’re running to represent residents largely living on the city’s hillside.
Like the mayoral race, the top two vote getters will continue to the November general election. As of Tuesday night, Bana was in the lead with 67.16% of the vote, followed by Pursell with 26.08%, and Gallon with 6.76%.
Councilmember Cesar Zepeda is running unopposed for reelection in District 2, covering much of the city’s western neighborhoods, from the Hilltop District to Point Richmond.
Councilmembers Jamelia Brown and Sue Wilson were first elected to the body in 2024 and will be up for reelection in 2028. If not elected mayor, Jimenez’s term will expire in 2029 unless she runs for reelection.