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Elect City Council Member Melvin Willis to push Richmond in the right direction.
About the Position
The Richmond City Council comprises six councilmembers elected at large and a separately elected mayor. A city council is responsible for establishing policy, passing local laws (called ordinances), voting on budget appropriations, and developing an overall vision for the city. City councilmembers in Richmond are limited to four-year terms.
About the District
Richmond is Contra Costa County’s third most populous city. Richmond City Council oversees the needs of around 110,000 people and manages an estimated budget of around $166 million annually. Richmond is managed by a mayor-council structured government. Richmond is a racially diverse city with a racial profile of 39.5 percent Hispanic or Latinx, 31.4 percent white, 26.6 percent African American, and 13.5 percent Asian. Richmond’s District 1 includes the neighborhoods of Iron Triangle and Belding Woods.
About the Race
Following the March 3 primary election, challenger Melvin Willis is running against challenger Eleanor Thompson. Melvin Willis has pledged to refuse corporate PAC and fossil fuel. He has not pledged to refuse police money. Willis is also a member of the Richmond Progressive Alliance, which advocates for taking political and economic power away from corporations and placing it in the hands of the people. Eleanor Thompson has not committed to any pledges. Neither candidate has made any campaign finance filings so we are unable to verify if the pledges made are reflected in their contribution records.
About the Candidate
Melvin Willis, Richmond City Council member for District 6, was born and raised in Richmond, where he attended local public schools. According to campaign materials, Willis is running for election to District 1 to build coalitions and increase community participation in all aspects of government.
Willis’s priorities for Richmond this term include getting new revenue to fill Richmond’s budget deficit, advocating to close a commercial tax loophole that would add billions to California services, recovering from COVID-19 debt, and pushing for an extension on an eviction moratorium.
Since 2011, Melvin Willis has worked as a community organizer with the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), where he defends the rights of renters and homeowners. He is a longtime advocate for tenants whose rents continue to skyrocket, and for the homeless, many of whom have been priced out of rental homes. As a Richmond City Council member, Willis was key in passing a rent-control law in Richmond, making it California’s first rent-control law in 30 years. He helped extend health care for the undocumented in Contra Costa County, and introduced the ordinance that will increase Richmond’s minimum wage to $15/hour. Having served as Richmond’s planning commissioner, Willis is familiar with government protocols. In 2013, he received the Mario Savio Young Activist Award.
Melvin Willis is endorsed by many progressive groups in the district. His opponent is endorsed by the Richmond Police Officers Association. According to our analysis, Melvin Willis is the strongest choice for equitable and representative leadership in office.
Last updated: 2023-04-05Melvin Willis
Elect City Council Member Melvin Willis to push Richmond in the right direction.
About the Position
Elect City Council Member Melvin Willis to push Richmond in the right direction.
About the Position
The Richmond City Council comprises six councilmembers elected at large and a separately elected mayor. A city council is responsible for establishing policy, passing local laws (called ordinances), voting on budget appropriations, and developing an overall vision for the city. City councilmembers in Richmond are limited to four-year terms.
About the District
Richmond is Contra Costa County’s third most populous city. Richmond City Council oversees the needs of around 110,000 people and manages an estimated budget of around $166 million annually. Richmond is managed by a mayor-council structured government. Richmond is a racially diverse city with a racial profile of 39.5 percent Hispanic or Latinx, 31.4 percent white, 26.6 percent African American, and 13.5 percent Asian. Richmond’s District 1 includes the neighborhoods of Iron Triangle and Belding Woods.
About the Race
Following the March 3 primary election, challenger Melvin Willis is running against challenger Eleanor Thompson. Melvin Willis has pledged to refuse corporate PAC and fossil fuel. He has not pledged to refuse police money. Willis is also a member of the Richmond Progressive Alliance, which advocates for taking political and economic power away from corporations and placing it in the hands of the people. Eleanor Thompson has not committed to any pledges. Neither candidate has made any campaign finance filings so we are unable to verify if the pledges made are reflected in their contribution records.
About the Candidate
Melvin Willis, Richmond City Council member for District 6, was born and raised in Richmond, where he attended local public schools. According to campaign materials, Willis is running for election to District 1 to build coalitions and increase community participation in all aspects of government.
Willis’s priorities for Richmond this term include getting new revenue to fill Richmond’s budget deficit, advocating to close a commercial tax loophole that would add billions to California services, recovering from COVID-19 debt, and pushing for an extension on an eviction moratorium.
Since 2011, Melvin Willis has worked as a community organizer with the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), where he defends the rights of renters and homeowners. He is a longtime advocate for tenants whose rents continue to skyrocket, and for the homeless, many of whom have been priced out of rental homes. As a Richmond City Council member, Willis was key in passing a rent-control law in Richmond, making it California’s first rent-control law in 30 years. He helped extend health care for the undocumented in Contra Costa County, and introduced the ordinance that will increase Richmond’s minimum wage to $15/hour. Having served as Richmond’s planning commissioner, Willis is familiar with government protocols. In 2013, he received the Mario Savio Young Activist Award.
Melvin Willis is endorsed by many progressive groups in the district. His opponent is endorsed by the Richmond Police Officers Association. According to our analysis, Melvin Willis is the strongest choice for equitable and representative leadership in office.
Melvin Willis
Elect City Council Member Melvin Willis to push Richmond in the right direction.
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