On November 8^th we will have a chance to use the full weight of the electoral process to determine who will be the next President of the United States.  As important as this is, here in Richmond there is also a critical race being contested for three seats on the Richmond City Council.

Radio Free Richmond has extended an offer to all nine candidates to post their own words to let you, the voters, know their positions on what they believe to be the important issues.

RFR will post a new candidate statement every couple of days.

I am the candidate who will bring a pragmatic, balanced and innovative approach to the Richmond City Council. I am the new generation of leaders.  That is why I have been endorsed by the California Democratic Party, the Sierra Club, East Bay Times, Teamsters Local 315, our Assemblymember Tony Thurmond, Black Women Organized for Political Action, and I received, amongst others, the sole endorsement of the West County Democratic Club.

I am running an independent campaign and do not align myself with any existing political organization or group in Richmond. My commitment is to serve the working-class families, small businesses and concerned residents of Richmond, who all believe our city can succeed, and want leaders who can step up to this task.

I took on this challenge in Hilltop, and built a track record of delivering for my neighborhood and holding the City and our elected officials accountable. I am currently the President of the Hilltop District Neighborhood Council, and founder and President of the Hilltop District Homeowners & Stakeholders Association.  For years, Hilltop never saw benefits from the $1 million Special Assessment Fee that our residents pay. I helped the neighborhood take control of these funds, and we put the money to work. After the City left it unfinished for 16 years, we finished building Vista Del Mar Park in one year. We installed a Parks Yard so that City workers can store their equipment locally, saving the City $80K a year in costs. We facilitated fixing the broken streetlights on the Richmond Parkway and replaced them with energy-efficient LED ones. We paved new ADA compliant sidewalks on San Pablo Avenue. We also helped to secure a buyer for Hilltop Mall, and are working to redevelop the mall so that it can help drive Richmond’s economy for generations to come.

What continuously motivates me to serve is the fact that I grew up in Richmond. I moved here from Mexico at age 8, and graduated from Richmond High School and attended Contra Costa College. My family worked hard for a piece of the American dream. We share the same work ethic with thousands of hardworking Richmond families. The people of Richmond inspire me. And what our people expect is a city that works equally hard for them.

When elected, I pledge to continue to bring a relentless focus to make Richmond an affordable, desirable, healthy and vibrant place to live and work. I will make sure more housing gets built, with affordable units reserved, so that we give people who want to live here an affordable chance to do so. I will build and maintain more parks and open space, work to expand public transit, and help improve schools and extracurricular programs for our children. I will tirelessly promote Richmond, and work to attract a grocery store, hospital, and more small businesses and employers to help grow our economy and our economic engine.

What I have learned from Hilltop is that, as leaders, we must constantly listen to different points of view, find sensible solutions, and be willing to negotiate. By coming together to solve problems, we can ensure the bright future Richmond deserves.

Let’s invest in our families, children, and community.  Let's build our future together.