RPA is an umbrella organization for progressives and leftists, regardless of political party. RPA members include voters registered as Democrats, Greens, and Independents.[1] Similarly, RPA electeds include Democrats, Greens, and Independents.[2]
RPA mostly focuses on local elections. RPA routinely wins seats on the Richmond City Council. Richmond has non-partisan elections, which helps groups like RPA win and wield power.[3] This is similar to Progressive Dane. Richmond also elected all city council seats on a top-3 city-wide basis, which empowered RPA.[3] In 2020, Richmond adopted single-member districts for its city council.[4] In 2024, Richmond's mayor and city council voted to send a ranked-choice voting measure to voters.[5]
RPA supports higher taxes and lower pollution for the local Chevron refinery; opposition to racial profiling; and opposition to urban casino development in Point Molate. During the 2000s and 2010s, the alliance altered the balance of power in the city and reduced the representation of Chevron-backed candidates.[6][7] RPA increased school funding, ended cooperation with ICE for non-criminals, and enacted Ban the Box.[8] While RPA has been in power, Richmond saw a 75% decrease in homicide.[8] Taxes on Chevron, supported by RPA, amounted to $204 million, which RPA invested in social programs.[3]
In 2008, RPA supported ballot measure Measure T which would substantially increased business license fees for large corporations like Chevron, owner of the Chevron Richmond Refinery. RPA opposed, Measure U, which would enable casino building, like the one proposed for the former Point Molate Naval Fuel Depot, was successfully defeated at the ballot box.
After the 2007–2008 financial crisis, Richmond saw extensive foreclosures.[10] In 2008, Richmond began fining banks $1000 per day if they failed to maintain their property, and had collected $1.5 million by 2014.[10] In 2014, RPA and McLaughlin supported an underwater mortgage bailout program which would use eminent domain to obtain better terms for underwater homeowners;[3][10] however, banks threatened a capital strike and Congress passed a law banning the practice.[3]
2010s
In 2010, RPA negotiated with Chevron to contribute millions of dollars for the city to reinvest in itself instead of facing Measure T which would have forced a change in the utility tax which would have made them potentially contribute more.[11]
In 2012, RPA member Jeff Ritterman proposed Measure N, a tax on sugary drinks. Community Coalition Against Beverage Taxes, funded by the American Beverage Association, spent $2.4 million to defeat it. It was rejected by 66.9% of voters.[12]
In 2014, Richmond municipal elections attracted national media attention, as they were seen as a "David versus Goliath" race in the wake of the 2010 Citizens United Supreme Court case.[13] Chevron spent about $3.1 million to support its own slate of candidates and break progressive control of the council,[14][7] which was more than Chevron had spent in total on all US Congress races from 2008 to 2012.[3] According to McLaughlin, Chevron "bought up every billboard in town".[7] In the mayoral election, RPA endorsed Mike Parker for Richmond mayor. However, Parker withdrew from the race in August and endorsed Tom Butt, in order to avoid splitting the left and center-left vote.[15] Butt beat Chevron's mayoral candidate, Nat Bates, with more than 51 percent of the election and avoiding a run-off. In the city council election, RPA took all 3 open seats, with McLaughlin, Martinez, and Beckles beating out Chevon-backed candidates Donna Powers, Charles Ramsey, and Al Martinez.[16][7]
In 2016, RPA won 2 additional city council seats, giving them 5 of 6 city council seats and 5 of 7 voting seats in the Richmond government.[17] Richmond voters approved a controversial rent-control and just-cause eviction measure written and backed by the RPA.[6] RPA's rent control measure passed,[18] which soured relations between RPA and mayor Butt, who opposed the measure.[19]
In 2017, RPA endorsed three members for McLaughlin's empty seat, including Langlois and Ada Recinos.[6] In a surprising decision, the council picked Recinos over Langlois.[20]
In 2018, McLaughlin created the California Progressive Alliance, a statewide offshoot of the RPA which endorses progressive candidates for state and federal elections.[2] McLaughlin ran for Lieutenant Governor of California, but lost.[21]
In the same year, RPA member Jovanka Beckles and former Obama 2008 campaign coordinator Buffy Wicks competed for the California Assembly District 15 seat. Richmond mayor Tom Butt and the California Progressive Alliance endorsed Wicks. Wicks went on to beat Beckles by 12 points and win the seat.[22][23]
In 2019, Butt blamed the Richmond Progressive Alliance for obstructing appointments to city positions, which are done typically at the prerogative of the mayor.[24]
Electoral history
The table below shows the number of RPA elected officials after the November election:
RPA has fielded electoral candidates for local and state offices. RPA candidates usually run in nonpartisan elections or as No Party Preference (NPP) independent candidates.
