Richmond mayoral and council debates set for October on housing, food security

Richmond's mayoral and council candidates will face voters on housing, food security, climate resilience and other issues in two debates organized by the Richmond Poverty Reduction Coalition ahead of the October 17 municipal election.

The mayoral debate takes place Friday, October 2, with candidates answering five policy questions developed by the coalition. The council debate follows Thursday, October 8, where candidates will field one or two questions each due to the larger candidate pool, then offer short answers to additional policy questions and introduce themselves.

Both debates will be moderated by the editor of the Richmond News and livestreamed on YouTube. Audience members can submit questions via Slido during the live broadcast. Recorded versions will be available on YouTube afterward.

Cathy Yan, a board member of the Richmond Poverty Reduction Coalition, said the organization "heard about issues that matter the most to people living in Richmond — housing, food security, climate resilience, and more." The debates are designed to "make it easier for people living in Richmond to identify candidates whose vision and values align with their own," Yan said.