Claudia Jiménez Declares Victory in Richmond Mayor Race
Richmond City Council member Claudia Jiménez said she is now the city’s mayor-elect, after a Friday afternoon ballot count put her ahead of opponent Ahmad Anderson by over 2,000 votes.
Unofficial end-of-week numbers from Contra Costa County elections officials show that Jiménez leads Anderson with 54.31% of the vote to Anderson’s 45.69%. More than 25,500 ballots have been counted in the race, and another update is due Tuesday.
The election is the first time Richmond has decided its mayor in a runoff race, per a voter-approved ballot initiative. Jiménez and Anderson were the top-two candidates in the June primary, besting outgoing Mayor Eduardo Martinez, placing them head-to-head in the general election.
Jiménez, who has sat on the City Council for two terms, announced on social media late Friday that she “will be your next Mayor of Richmond.” In an interview, she said she plans to work hard to earn the trust of those who didn’t vote for her.
“I know that some people voted for Ahmad, and I am looking forward to work with everybody because I believe everybody really wants Richmond to be a better city,” Jiménez told KQED.
The Richmond Progressive Alliance, a local political organization that has been well represented on the City Council in the last two decades, endorsed Jiménez over the incumbent Martinez.
Martinez congratulated both Jiménez and Anderson, noting his progressive ally’s “excellent leadership and compassion” and Anderson’s “ambitious and hard-fought campaign.”
“I see her drive, financial acumen and willingness to listen as an incredible foundation for leading and advancing our community,” Martinez said on social media. “My hope is that her colleagues on the City Council will recognize these strengths and work collaboratively with the new Mayor to propel Richmond toward the great future its residents both desire and deserve.”
Melvin Willis, a former Richmond City Council member and another progressive ally of Jimenez, told KQED, a day after Jiménez’s announcement, that it was “safe to say she has won.”
“Everybody wants to see every vote counted, and that’s the right thing to do,” Willis said. “And just from my general take of looking at the numbers as they constantly come in, her gap keeps on growing in terms of how many more votes she is getting. I’m excited to see what she will do because I do know Claudia personally. And when she dives into an issue, she dives into it, will dedicate herself to it, and check in with the community and try to understand it as much as possible, and try to make the right decision.”
Anderson did not respond to a request for comment.
KQED’s Brian Krans contributed to this report.