The online source for this story (https://www.grandviewindependent.com/richmond-councilmembers-receive-endorsements-from-the-east-bay-dsa-in-upcoming-council-race-2/) includes links to the complete DSA questionnaires completed by Jimenez and Willis. A big part of the DSA platform is promoting criminals and dismantling police. For example, at the latest DSA convention, they voted to “transition functions, such as traffic enforcement and mental health away from police departments into well-paid, public sector union jobs, “ and “disarming and demilitarizing police.”

Election
Richmond councilmembers receive endorsements from the East Bay DSA in upcoming council race

Soren Hemmila
Oct 9, 2024 — 30 min read

Councilmember Melvin Willis and Vice Mayor Claudia Jimenez, who are running for reelection to the Richmond City Council, have received endorsements from the East Bay Democratic Socialists of America.

Both candidates' questionnaires share their views on a wide range of matters, including police abolition, increasing housing regulation, running for office publicly as a socialist, and allowing the DSA to play a crucial role in shaping their policies.

The Democratic Socialists of America claim to be the largest socialist organization in the United States, with more than 92,000 members with chapters in every state. The East Bay DSA held a local convention in Oakland in June voting 63 to 12 for the endorsements.

Image/ Instragram

Jimenez said the East Bay DSA's expertise and participation were crucial to Richmond Mayor Eduardo’s win in 2022 and wrote in the questionnaire, "We’re hopeful we can replicate those amazing efforts this cycle, too."

In the questionnaire, Jimenez, who is running for the District 6 council seat against Shawn Dunning, said she is a democratic socialist who believes no one should profit from basic human needs and that social and economic equity should guide political and economic decisions. She says she is most connected to organizing work around police accountability, police budget reallocation, environmental justice, and tenants’ rights. 

While her campaign website focuses on community issues, such as advocating for investing in public spaces, parks, community centers, libraries, and violence prevention, Jimenez told the DSA she is committed to reducing police and prison budgets and has been the primary champion of Richmond’s police budget reallocation efforts.

Jimenez states her opponent, Shawn Dunning, supports significantly expanding the police budget and opposes gross receipts tax on Richmond businesses.

Willis, who is running against Dr. Jamelia Brown for the District 1 seat, described his opponent as a “relatively unknown” who has never been an elected official and does not have a public platform. 

“She also grew up in Richmond, but I am otherwise unaware of her politics,” Willis said. “However, Richmond conservatives seem to be rooting for her.”

Jimenez says the DSA can play a crucial role in shaping her policies, and she will be accountable to the DSA by devoting her time and energy to causes supported by them.

“I subscribe to the framework of co-governance, in which grassroots movements and politicians collaborate on policy-building and exercising political power,” Jimenez wrote. 

Prison and Police Abolition
Jimenez said the council used a multi-million dollar police budget reallocation to fund youth employment, gun violence prevention, community services for unhoused residents, and non-law enforcement mental health and substance use crisis intervention.

“I have voted for these proposals while serving as a Richmond City Council member,” Jimenez said. “With this multi-million dollar police budget reallocation, we funded such programs as YouthWORKS, a city-run youth employment program; the Office of Neighborhood Safety, a city-run gun violence prevention and intervention program.”

Jimenez also serves as the council liaison to Richmond’s  Community Police Review Commission. The commission's Investigative and Appeals Officer recently resigned, citing concerns about its ethical practices and its ability to impartially review complaints against police officers. 

“Their charge is to hold police accountable and review allegations of misconduct. I dedicate a lot of time to making sure this commission is proactive and effective,” Jimenez wrote.

Willis referenced the 2021-2022 budget, in which he successfully allocated $6.3 million to community programs, with $3 million redirected from the police budget. 

“I’ve also long advocated for redirecting funds from law enforcement into essential local services. Examples include my efforts on the City Council to decrease the police budget by at least 20 percent and my work at the county level to reduce the sheriff department’s budget,” Willis said.

Both Jimenez and Willis expressed their support for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS), the Green New Deal, free mass transit, and healthcare.

Housing
Jimenez said she believes that the housing market suffers from severe under-regulation, contributing to the ongoing housing crisis. She would oppose proposals to increase the density of residences without affordability requirements and pledges to support proposals by anti-gentrification groups.

“I am not aware of any tenants’ rights expansions that I would not support,” Jimenez said.

Willis says the concentration of housing stock in the hands of a few individuals, corporations, and developers, whose primary objective is to maximize profits by catering to high-income earners, intensifies the ongoing housing crisis.

“I would support measures that ban investment firms and corporations from buying residential property in Richmond. I would also support providing a funding stream to housing stabilization bodies (i.e., land trusts) so that efforts like TOPA would actually be achievable,” Willis said.

Labor
While Willis and Jimenez have never been union members, they both say they have strong relationships with unions and have walked picket lines.

“I have not had the opportunity and the honor of union membership. I hope that will change in the future,” Willis said.
Jimenez views the labor movement as the backbone of political change. 

“Workers hold immense power in shaping society, and collective action through unions is essential for challenging corporate interests and advocating for policies that prioritize the needs of the working class,” Jimenez said.

“I supported efforts by Unite Here to unionize HelloFresh workers, including at a facility in Richmond. Unfortunately, unionization was rejected in a worker vote despite significant safety concerns and low wages,” Jimenez wrote.