Jimenez Holds 52.2% to 47.8% Lead Over Anderson in Richmond Mayoral Race
Preliminary figures released by Contra Costa County election authorities on Tuesday indicate that Councilmember Claudia Jimenez holds a slim advantage over Ahmad Anderson in Richmond’s mayoral race. Jimenez has secured 52.2% of the votes counted, while Anderson sits at 47.8%.
The matchup follows the June primary election, where Jimenez and Anderson outpaced Demnlus Johnson III, Mark Wassberg, and incumbent Mayor Eduardo Martinez. In that primary, Jimenez secured 38.6% of the vote and Anderson brought in 28%. Because neither candidate cleared the 50% threshold, the two advanced to Tuesday’s head-to-head ballot.
Two Decades of Progressive Leadership at Stake
Should Jimenez maintain her advantage, KQED noted that she would prolong a twenty-year run of Richmond Progressive Alliance governance and secure victory in the municipality’s inaugural mayoral contest conducted via the new run-off voting format. The current contest carries echoes of the 2006 race when insurgent progressive Gayle McLaughlin ousted incumbent mayor Irma Anderson by 242 votes. This year’s ballot features Ahmad Anderson, the son of Irma Anderson, and Jimenez, who carries McLaughlin’s political legacy.
Jimenez, an immigrant from Colombia with a background in architecture and environmental planning, was elected to the Richmond City Council in 2020 to represent District 6. Based on KQED’s coverage, she relocated to the United States in 2007, obtained her Master’s degree in Environmental Planning from UC Berkeley, and served as an organizer prior to capturing her council seat. In her candidate statement to the Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder’s Office, she emphasized public safety, environmental quality, and immigrant protection.
I accept no campaign contributions from corporations, fossil fuel interests or developers,
Jimenez’s statement reads. Being corporate-free means I work for the people, not special interests.
On the other side of the ballot, Anderson was born and raised in Richmond and previously served as chair of the Richmond Economic Development Commission and the Richmond NAACP Economic Development Committee. His campaign website identifies him as someone who has worked in the private and nonprofit sectors as a human resources executive. His platform targets economic resilience, public infrastructure, and public safety.
Safety is not just about enforcement; it’s about creating conditions where crime is less likely to occur,
Anderson stated in his candidate filing. I’ll lead investments in mental health response, violence prevention, youth opportunity and housing stability.
Divergent Strategies on City Budget and Public Safety
The race highlights a sharp division over the city’s financial and public safety strategies. Jimenez and her supporters point to the 10-year settlement she helped negotiate with Chevron in 2024. That agreement, combined with a 2020 business tax, helped grow city budget reserves and lift it off the state auditor’s watchlist. Critics and Anderson argue that this approach relies too heavily on extracting funds from major corporations, creating a climate that discourages outside investment and masks underlying operating deficits.
Public safety policy draws another clear line between the candidates. Anderson backs a police union initiative that mandates a minimum of 187 sworn officers. Jimenez opposes the measure, warning that it would exhaust city resources, preferring investments in non-police crisis response and youth programs.
County Officials Plan Friday Vote Count Update
Tuesday’s initial figures include counted vote-by-mail ballots and in-person votes from early voting sites. While county elections officials initially expected a final election night report by midnight, those reports historically account for roughly half of all ballots cast. Election officials announced that the next updated report will be published by 5 p.m. Friday.
