Jimenez, Wilson, Brown leading Richmond City Council race with thousands of votes to count

According to unofficial results, with 100 percent of precincts reporting, Claudia Jimenez, Sue Wilson, and Dr. Jamelia Brown are leading their respective races for the Richmond City Council. However, thousands of votes may still be outstanding.

Helen Nolan, Assistant Registrar for Contra Costa County, said the county still has to collect and count all ballots from drop boxes and vote-by-mail ballots dropped off at the polls last night.

"If we have approximately 55-60% of ballots now, the best guesstimate would be we might expect to see another 17-19k ballots that may go into the count," Nolan said.

In District 1, 2,108 votes have been cast so far, which is 47.94 percent of the 2020 total of 4,397 votes. This indicates a possible significant number of votes to be counted, with nearly half of the 2020 vote count reported.

In the District 1 race, incumbent Councilmember Melvin Willis faced off against challenger Dr. Jamelia Brown, who campaigned on a platform of change with her “See a Better Richmond” slogan. Early votes show Brown leading with 50 percent of the vote compared to 38 percent for Willis. 

Dr. Jamelia Brown is running for City Council in District 1 to “See a Better Richmond”

Dr. Jamelia Brown is running for City Council in District 1 to “See a Better Richmond”

Grandview IndependentSoren Hemmila

In District 5, 4,488 votes have been counted, 50.76 percent of the 8,842 votes in 2020. The race to replace outgoing Councilmember Gayle McLaughlin was closely watched. Richmond Progressive Alliance candidate Sue Wilson captured the district’s support with 57 percent of the vote compared to Ahmad Anderson’s 43 percent.

Sue Wilson’s campaign: from behind-the-scenes activism to city council spotlight

A seasoned activist and environmental advocate, Sue Wilson is making her first bid for public office, seeking to fill the District 5 Richmond City Council seat vacated by Gayle McLaughlin.

Grandview IndependentSoren Hemmila

In District 6, 4,106 votes have been recorded, or 53.88 percent of the 7,620 votes from 2020. This district has seen a somewhat higher share of votes so far compared to Districts 1 and 5.

District 6 incumbent Claudia Jimenez received 58 percent of the vote so far, besting former mayoral candidate Shawn Dunning’s 42 percent. 

Claudia Jiménez highlights community work and future projects in re-election bid

Richmond Vice Mayor Claudia Jiménez is seeking re-election, emphasizing her dedication to ongoing projects and her long-term vision for improving public safety, infrastructure, and economic opportunity in District 6, which she represents.

Grandview IndependentSoren Hemmila

Election Reform Measures

Richmond residents also voted on two significant election reform measures that could reshape future elections. Measure J -the Richmond Election Reform Act proposed introducing primary elections for municipal races, aiming to ensure candidates would win by a majority vote. The measure currently has 58 percent support, reflecting the community’s stance on enhanced electoral representation. Some opponents had criticized the measure as potentially suppressing progressive candidates.

Richmond City Council weighs different election reform measure

Fresh off the Richmond Election Reform Act petition certification, the Richmond City Council will now consider placing its own election reform measure on the November ballot. Voting reform organization California Ranked Choice Voting will present a report on instant runoff voting to the council at the April 30 meeting. Cal

Grandview IndependentSoren Hemmila

In addition, voters weighed in on adopting ranked-choice voting, which would have allowed residents to rank candidates by preference to ensure majority support without the need for primary elections. Measure L received 53 percent of the vote but less than the similar Richmond Election Reform Act.

Guadalupe Enllana is leading Otheree Christian 52.76 percent to 47.24 percent in the race for Area 2 West Contra Costa School Board Trustee.

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