Richmond mayoral and council candidates will debate social justice issues

Two municipal candidate debates are scheduled for the coming week as Richmond’s Oct. 17 election approaches. The mayoral debate will take place Friday, Oct. 2, followed by a council candidate debate on Thursday, Oct. 8. Both are organized by the Richmond Poverty Reduction Coalition (RPRC) and will be moderated by the editor of Richmond News. They will be livestreamed on YouTube, and audience members may be able to submit questions through Slido. Recordings will be available on YouTube for people who cannot watch live.

Mayoral candidates will introduce themselves and answer five policy questions developed by the RPRC. Before the election period, the non-profit sent candidates questionnaires on five main topics: housing, food security, climate issues, community spaces, and child and senior care. Those topics will form the basis of questions at both debates. Because there are many council candidates, each will have only one or two questions, but the format will also let candidates give short answers to other policy questions and introduce themselves to voters.

Cathy Yan, an RPRC board member and debate organizer, said the debates are intended to help Richmond residents identify candidates whose vision and values align with their own. During the coalition’s “Our City Hall - Richmond” initiative, Yan said, residents identified housing, food security, climate resilience and other issues as important concerns. The debates will give candidates an opportunity to address those topics directly and explain how they intend to make Richmond a place where everyone can thrive.