Eight throw names into Richmond council race

By Katherine Tam
West County Times

Article Launched: 08/11/2008 04:42:15 PM PDT

At least eight people are running for Richmond City Council on Nov. 4.

Incumbents Nat Bates, Tom Butt, John Marquez and Harpreet Sandhu, and challengers Jovanka Beckles, Rock Brown, Jeff Ritterman and Chris Tallerico have filed paperwork and collected enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot, City Clerk Diane Holmes said Monday.

That's half the people who took out nomination papers so far. The others who have not filed are William Acevedo, Gary Bell, Corky Booze, Khalid Elahi, Navdeep Garcha, the Rev. Andre Shumake, Jean Womack and David Young.

The City Council is shrinking from nine members to seven at the end of the year. The terms of five incumbents — Bates, Butt, Marquez, Sandhu and Tony Thurmond — are expiring, but just three seats are available.

Thurmond has decided not to seek re-election and instead will run for the West Contra Costa Unified School District board. Because an incumbent is not seeking re-election, the filing period for candidates has been extended to 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Nomination papers must be picked up in person at Richmond City Hall, 1401 Marina Way South.

— Katherine Tam