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. She is seeking to fill the District 5 Richmond City Council seat vacated by Gayle McLaughlin.
Known for her behind-the-scenes work in local politics, Wilson is stepping into the spotlight with a platform centered on environmental justice and community-driven policymaking.
"I think that the Richmond City Council has a lot of very important decisions to make in the next few years, and I am a person who can really take the community's needs and desires into account when faced with those decisions," Wilson said.
Although new to running for office, Wilson has long been a fixture in Richmond's political landscape, serving as a member of the Richmond Progressive Alliance and contributing to various campaigns and initiatives.
Soren Hemmila
"I've been politically active in Richmond for most of the time that I've lived here, but it's always been behind the scenes," Wilson said.
Wilson's activism includes work on the "No Coal in Richmond" campaign to halt the transport of coal through city neighborhoods and the drive for a full environmental cleanup of the AstraZeneca site in the shoreline of District 5.
"A previous city council made the decision to switch from the original plan for a full cleanup to a plan to simply cap the toxic waste with a cement pad, leaving it in the ground, and then build housing on top of it," Wilson said. "I think it is a terrible plan."
Wilson said the project is supposed to break ground within the next two years, which is one reason she is running for council.
"I would like to be in a position to try to influence the policy so that that area gets cleaned up fully," Wilson said.
Wilson describes herself as a working-class person from the Midwest whose background has shaped her commitment to labor and middle-class values. She grew up in Detroit, where her father worked for the gas company and her mother was a nurse. She received a scholarship to attend what she calls "a fancy prep school in the suburbs of Detroit."
"From a young age, I was exposed to the idea that there are pretty big discrepancies. That doesn't have to be a problem, but there definitely needs to be mechanisms to make sure everybody has advantages that I was getting all of a sudden," Wilson said.
Wilson would go on to attend the University of Michigan and earn a PhD in sociocultural anthropology from U. C. Berkeley, a combination that she believes positions her to advocate for policies that support the middle class.
Wilson's advisor, Laura Nader, is a very politically active member of the Nader family, and Ralph is her brother.
"It was very formative for me working with her and having access to the idea that things can be better. "You can look around and see things that are not adequate, and you can organize yourself and other people," Wilson said. "That's a great thing about the United States; if you see a problem, there are all sorts of avenues to make it better. We're really privileged here in that sense, and I try to take advantage of it."
Wilson has a background in labor organizing, negotiations, and communications for labor unions and nonprofits but switched from working full-time to consulting five years ago.
"Right now my largest nonprofit client is a great organization that works on improving healthcare for veterans," Wilson said.
Wilson outlined her vision for responsibly managing an anticipated increase in the city's budget, driven by a recent settlement negotiated with Chevron, including creating a "rainy day fund" to prepare for a future without the local oil refinery, which currently contributes significantly to the city's tax revenue.
"One of my goals is to be a responsible steward of that money," Wilson said. "I don't think we're always going to have an oil refinery in Richmond and need to set aside money so that if they stop refining oil there and stop paying those taxes, we do not have a tremendous hole in our tax base."
Wilson said part of the money needs to go towards improving city services, such as cutting weeds, repairing potholes, or installing devices to slow down traffic.
"We're way behind on stuff like that. In past years, there really wasn't enough money to do everything but between Measure U and the Chevron settlement, we can actually do a lot better in meeting those needs," Wilson said.
A holistic view of public safety
Wilson said having adequate police is part of the public safety picture; it's not the whole picture. She is excited and motivated to support the crisis response program being developed right now.
"I've met some of the folks who are working on that, and they're so fired up and ready to go, and it's great. That's a high priority for me, to make sure we invest in these sorts of programs," Wilson said.
One misconception Wilson believes people have about her is that, because she is on the left edge of the Democratic Party and holds progressive views like supporting rent control and refusing corporate money, some might assume she is unreasonable or unwilling to listen to differing opinions.
"Sometimes people see me because I'm left of center, even within the Democratic Party, that means that I'm not reasonable in some ways or that I don't listen," Wilson said. "I think the opposite is true. If you're someone who holds an opinion that's a little bit different than the bulk of the Democratic Party, you're used to having conversations about it. I do try to be open to compromises and find common ground."
Wilson will face Ahmad Anderson in the race for the District 5 seat.
Soren Hemmila
For more information about Sue Wilson, visit www.votesue.org
This is part of a series of candidate interviews conducted by Grandview with the goal of profiling all who are running for office in Richmond. These profiles aim to provide information to Richmond voters and are not endorsements.
Click to become a Grandview Supporter here, or make a one-time donation here. Grandview is an independent, journalist-run publication exclusively covering Richmond, CA. Every cent we make funds reporting from Richmond's neighborhoods. Copyright © 2024 Grandview Independent, all rights reserved.,
