ABOUT
Brandon Evans
ROOTS IN RICHMOND
I’m the son of the Southside — raised in Richmond by a family, a neighborhood, and a city that taught me the value of resilience, service, and love rooted in place.
My story begins long before me — in the 1940s, when my paternal grandparents migrated from the deep South of Arkansas to Richmond. They arrived with nothing but faith and ambition, joining thousands of Black families who came west in search of opportunity during the World War II era. They laid down roots here, and three generations later, I’m still grounded in those same streets — shaped by their sacrifice and guided by their dreams.
I was raised by strong, independent women — my mother and my grandmother — who built a life not just for themselves, but for others. Together, they ran an in-home daycare that provided low-cost child care to working families who needed a safe and nurturing place for their children. In our household, community care wasn’t a slogan — it was survival. It was love in action. And it became the foundation of how I understand leadership.
I came of age in Richmond during the early 2000s, a time marked by violence, grief, and disinvestment. I lost too many friends to gun violence and poverty — not because they lacked value or vision, but because they were born into systems that treated them like they were disposable. That pain never left me. I carry it not as a burden, but as fuel — a daily reminder that we can’t afford to wait for change. We have to create it.
Education became my path forward. I graduated from Pinole Valley High School in 2008, earned a bachelor’s degree in Urban Studies and City Planning from San Francisco State, and later completed a master’s in Public Leadership. Most recently, I was accepted into the Doctorate of Public Administration program at National University. Every degree I’ve earned has deepened my understanding of how systems work — and how to change them.
Since 2015, I’ve been doing the work — not just talking about change, but building it. I’ve served as a community organizer, nonprofit leader, and political campaign consultant. I’ve helped elect leaders who reflect our values and led grassroots efforts focused on youth empowerment, equity, and neighborhood revitalization. I served on Richmond’s Economic Development Commission, helping shift it from a passive advisory board into a driver of real policy change. I later served on the Planning Commission, where I fought for community-centered development. I co-founded Taste of Richmond — a celebration of our food, culture, and local talent — and helped establish the Cannabis Equity Subcommittee to push for policies that repair past harms and expand opportunity.
Professionally, I’ve also had the honor of serving Richmond both inside and outside of government. I began with the City of Richmond’s Employment & Training Department, helping young people and working-class residents access job training, career pathways, and second chances. Today, I serve as a District Representative for Supervisor Shanelle Scales-Preston, where I work daily to connect communities with resources, advocate for policies that improve lives, and ensure that historically underserved neighborhoods are heard at the county level.
Before this, I served under the late Supervisor Federal Glover — a public servant whose recent passing left a lasting mark on our region and on me personally. His example of steady, principled leadership challenged me to dream louder, serve deeper, and believe that someone like me could one day hold office and lead with integrity.
But beyond titles and roles, I’m a proud father to Eden Luna Evans, a life partner to Erika Viveros, and a son, brother, and friend. I live in the same neighborhoods that shaped me. I shop at the same corner stores. I walk the same streets, carrying the same hope — that Richmond can and will become the city we all know it can be.
I’m not running for City Council because I want power. I’m running because I know what it feels like to be shut out of decisions that shape our lives — and I believe Richmond deserves better.
This campaign isn’t about promises — it’s about presence. It’s about listening, doing the work, and building something real with the people who’ve always kept this city going.
Let’s build something that lasts. Together.
VISION FOR RICHMOND
Empowering Every Community
Youth Empowerment &
Career Readiness
I know firsthand what it’s like to grow up in Richmond searching for purpose and opportunity — and I’ve spent the last decade building pathways for young people who’ve been told to wait their turn. Through my work in workforce development and programs like the Youth Fire Academy, I’ve helped young people get that first job, find a mentor, or discover a career they never thought was for them.
But we need more than programs — we need a citywide youth strategy. On Council, I’ll work to create a Youth Opportunity Fund, leveraging city, county, and private dollars to expand paid internships, trades training, and afterschool programs in every neighborhood. I’ll fight to fully fund our YouthWORKS office, advocate for an annual Youth Hiring Fair, and push to require all major city contractors to create local youth employment pipelines — with accountability tied to city contracts.
This is about giving Richmond’s youth more than promises. It’s about delivering jobs, skills, and hope — right now.
Economic
Revitalization
Richmond can’t wait for outside investors to “discover” us — we need to revitalize from within. I’ve seen the impact of activating our downtown through events like Taste of Richmond and Music on the Main, but events alone won’t transform our economy. We need structural change.
As a Councilmember, I’ll propose a Neighborhood Business Stabilization Program to provide direct technical assistance, grants, and rental support to legacy small businesses — especially Black and Brown-owned ones. I’ll fight to restore funding to the Revolving Loan Fund that was originally designed to support local entrepreneurs. And I’ll champion zoning and permitting reforms that make it easier to open neighborhood-serving businesses, not harder.
In addition, I’ll lead efforts to establish a “Vacant to Vibrant” corridor strategy, using city-owned or tax-defaulted properties to incubate small businesses and nonprofits — turning empty spaces into community anchors.
Economic revitalization doesn’t just mean attracting capital. It means reinvesting power into the people who already call Richmond home.
Industrial Renaissance
of Richmond
Richmond’s future lies in what we choose to build — and who we choose to build it with. Our city has long been shaped by heavy industry, and I’ve been on the frontlines of negotiating Community Benefit Agreements with refineries like Phillips 66 and Marathon to make sure our neighborhoods receive compensation, investment, and a seat at the table.
But it’s not enough to respond after the fact. We need proactive policies that shape the next chapter of Richmond’s industrial landscape. On Council, I’ll push for a Green Industry Recruitment Plan that offers incentives for clean energy, manufacturing, and logistics firms to relocate to Richmond — with commitments to local hiring, apprenticeship creation, and union partnerships.
I’ll also fight for the creation of an Industrial Impact Fund, paid into by polluting industries and used for health clinics, air quality monitoring, and neighborhood investments in frontline communities. And I’ll lead on modernizing our industrial zoning and transportation infrastructure so that new growth doesn't come at the expense of our health or housing.
I believe in an Industrial Renaissance that doesn’t just repeat our past — it reinvents our future.