The Richmond Progressive Alliance (RPA) is a progressive political group in Richmond and western Contra Costa County, California, United States. RPA formed in 2003 by local progressives.

RPA is an umbrella organization for progressives and leftists, regardless of political party. RPA members include voters registered as Democrats, Greens, and Independents. Similarly, RPA electeds include Democrats, Greens, and Independents.

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. This is similar to Progressive Dane. Richmond also elected all city council seats on a top-3 city-wide basis, which empowered RPA. In 2020, Richmond adopted single-member districts for its city council. In 2024, Richmond's mayor and city council voted to send a ranked-choice (instant-runoff) voting measure to voters.

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. RPA increased school funding, ended cooperation with ICE for non-criminals, and enacted Ban the Box. While RPA has been in power, Richmond saw a 75% decrease in homicide. Taxes on Chevron, supported by RPA, amounted to $204 million, which RPA invested in social programs.

Notable members include Gayle McLaughlin and Jovanka Beckles.

History

Origins In 2003 or 2004, an "unlikely group of Greens, Latinos, progressive Democrats, African Americans, and free spirits" founded RPA. Co-founders included Gayle McLaughlin, Marilyn Langlois, and Andrés Soto. McLaughlin cited Peter Camejo's run in 2002 as Green Party candidate for Governor of California as their inspiration for getting involved in politics.

2000s In 2004, RPA member Gayle McLaughlin, a Green and a Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) member, won a city council seat in Richmond. They were the first RPA member to do so.

In 2005, RPA supported transfer of the former Zeneca site at Campus Bay to the California Department of Toxic Substances Control.

In the 2006 Richmond, California municipal elections, Gayle McLaughlin won the election for mayor against incumbent Democrat Irma Anderson. This made Richmond the largest city in the United States to have a Green mayor.

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 2008 financial crisis, Richmond saw extensive foreclosures. In 2008, Richmond began fining banks $1000 per day if they failed to maintain their property, and had collected $1.5 million by 2014. In 2014, RPA and McLaughlin supported an underwater mortgage bailout program which would use eminent domain to obtain better terms for underwater homeowners; however, banks threatened a capital strike and Congress passed a law banning the practice.

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.

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.

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. Chevron spent about $3.1 million to support its own slate of candidates and break progressive control of the council, which was more than Chevron had spent in total on all US Congress races from 2008 to 2012. According to McLaughlin, Chevron "bought up every billboard in town". 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. 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.

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. Richmond voters approved a controversial rent-control and just-cause eviction measure written and backed by the RPA. RPA's rent control measure passed, which soured relations between RPA and mayor Butt, who opposed the measure.

In 2017, RPA endorsed three members for McLaughlin's empty seat, including Langlois and Ada Recinos. In a surprising decision, the council picked Recinos over Langlois.

In 2018, McLaughlin created the California Progressive Alliance, a statewide offshoot of the RPA which endorses progressive candidates for state and federal elections. McLaughlin ran for Lieutenant Governor of California, but lost.

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.

In 2019, Butt blamed the Richmond Progressive Alliance for obstructing appointments to city positions, which are done typically at the prerogative of the mayor.

Electoral history The table below shows the number of RPA elected officials after the November election:

Year Richmond City Council Mayor of Richmond Refs 2004 did not control 2006 Gayle McLaughlin 2008 Gayle McLaughlin 2010 Gayle McLaughlin 2012 Gayle McLaughlin 2014 did not control 2016 did not control 2018 did not control 2020 did not control 2022 Eduardo Martinez 2024 Eduardo Martinez

Election results 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.

Statewide elections Year Candidate Office State District Votes % Result Notes Ref 2018 Gayle McLaughlin Lieutenant Governor California At-Large 263,364 Lost ran as No Party Preference (NPP) candidate; endorsed by CNP, DSA, GPCA, OR, PFP, PP, and RPA

State legislature elections Year Candidate Office State District Stage Votes % Result Notes Ref 2024 Jovanka Beckles Senate California 7 General 18,272 Lost lost to Jesse Arreguín 2024 Jovanka Beckles Senate California 7 Primary 34,085 Advanced ran as Democratic candidate; advanced to the general election in an all-party blanket primary 2024 Margot Smith Assembly California 14 General 57,450 Lost lost to Buffy Wicks 2024 Margot Smith Assembly California 14 Primary 18,272 Advanced ran as Democratic candidate; advanced to the general election in an all-party blanket primary 2018 Jovanka Beckles Assembly California 15 General 90,405 Lost lost to Buffy Wicks 2018 Jovanka Beckles Assembly California 15 Primary 18,733 Advanced ran as Democratic candidate; advanced to the general election in an all-party blanket primary

Local results Year Candidate Office City District Votes % Result Notes Ref 2024 Claudia Jimenez City Council Richmond 6 nonpartisan election 2024 Melvin Willis City Council Richmond 1 nonpartisan election 2024 Sue Wilson City Council Richmond 5 nonpartisan election 2024 Otheree Christian WCC School District Contra Costa 2 nonpartisan election 2024 Cinthia Hernandez WCC School District Contra Costa 3 nonpartisan election 2022 Eduardo Martinez Mayor Richmond At-Large 10,319 Won nonpartisan election 2022 Doria Robinson City Council Richmond 3 1,145 Won nonpartisan election 2022 Jamin Pursell City Council Richmond 4 2,027 Lost nonpartisan election 2020 Gayle McLaughlin City Council Richmond 5 4,576 Won nonpartisan election 2020 Claudia Jimenez City Council Richmond 6 4128 Won nonpartisan election 2020 Melvin Willis City Council Richmond 1 2557 Won nonpartisan election 2020 Jamela Smith-Folds WCC School District Contra Costa 1 13,227 Won nonpartisan election 2020 Otheree Christian WCC School District Contra Costa 2 5,357 Won nonpartisan election 2020 Demetrio Gonzales-Hoy WCC School District Contra Costa 4 10,092 Won nonpartisan election 2020 Leslie Reckler WCC School District Contra Costa 5 10,093 Won nonpartisan election 2020 Consuelo Lara CC Board of Education Contra Costa 1 41,905 Won nonpartisan election 2018 Melvin Willis Mayor Richmond At-Large 12,917 Lost nonpartisan election 2018 Eduardo Martinez City Council Richmond At-Large 8,833 Won nonpartisan election, vote for 3, 2nd place 2018 Ada Recinos City Council Richmond At-Large 7,350 Lost nonpartisan election, vote for 3, 6th place 2016 Ben Choi City Council Richmond At-Large 10490 Won nonpartisan election, vote for 3, 1st place 2016 Melvin Willis City Council Richmond At-Large 12137 Won nonpartisan election, vote for 3, 2nd place 2014 Gayle McLaughlin City Council Richmond At-Large 8,754 Won nonpartisan election, vote for 3, 1st place 2014 Eduardo Martinez City Council Richmond At-Large 7,629 Won nonpartisan election, vote for 3, 3rd place 2014 Jovanka Beckles City Council Richmond At-Large 8,322 Won nonpartisan election, vote for 3, 2nd place 2012 Marilyn Langlois City Council Richmond At-Large 8,610 Lost nonpartisan election, vote for 3, 4th place 2012 Eduardo Martinez City Council Richmond At-Large 10,956 Lost nonpartisan election, vote for 3, 5th place 2010 Gayle McLaughlin Mayor Richmond At-Large 9,841 Won nonpartisan election, ran as open Green candidate 2010 Jovanka Beckles City Council Richmond At-Large 8,135 Won nonpartisan election, vote for 3, 3rd place 2010 Eduardo Martinez City Council Richmond At-Large 6,564 Lost nonpartisan election, vote for 3, 6th place 2008 Jovanka Beckles City Council Richmond At-Large 11,090 Lost nonpartisan election, vote for 3, 4th place 2008 Jeff Ritterman City Council Richmond At-Large 12,180 Won nonpartisan election, vote for 3, 1st place 2006 Gayle McLaughlin Mayor Richmond At-Large 7,343 Won nonpartisan election, ran as open Green candidate 2006 Jim Jenkins City Council Richmond At-Large 4,825 Lost nonpartisan election, vote for 3, 5th place 2004 Gayle McLaughlin City Council Richmond At-Large 11,191 Won nonpartisan election, vote for 3, 2nd place 2004 Andres Soto City Council Richmond At-Large 8,318 Lost nonpartisan election, vote for 3, 4th place

See also American Left Democratic Socialists of America Progressive Dane Green Party of the United States History of the socialist movement in the United States List of mayors of Richmond, California

References

External links Richmond Progressive Alliance official website Contra Costa election results