R.D. López

09/06/2026

Every city needs a hero.
Welcome to Albany. Everyone gets set checked by the campaign manager.

Be part of the next wave of change:
www.AlbanyForward.org

09/05/2026

16 years. I lost a best friend in the Fall of 2010.
The avalanche that followed is something I cannot even come close to contextualizing into words.
But 12 years later, I gained a new best friend - my son.
On the way to pay my annual visit to final resting site, my son says “I remember when you and him became friends, I’m sorry daddy.”
I don’t know what any of that means. But bless my baby boy for having a heart of gold, and making this year result in no tears. I couldn’t help but just laugh.
Mental health should be equally prioritized like all other health issues. I hold many regrets, after losing my best friend to s*icide 16 years ago. Though, it was that experience that helped me evolve and become a better person.
Rest Easy, brother.
You’re never forgotten.
I have one of the dopest ancestors guiding me.

If you or anyone you know is experiencing mental health issues, please know that there are resources and support - and that you are never alone.

09/03/2026

The city will move forward with deFlocking Albany. Overdue, but it's happening!
But now is not the time to celebrate.
At our next city council meeting, for item 10-1, there will be discussion on an alternative ALPR vendor. I don't intend to support contracting with any new vendor, regardless of any guardrails or internal checks and balances.

I imagine the Albany Scanner will give this proper coverage, and I want to make absolutely clear where I stand on the topic of mass surveillance tools. As a Sanctuary City, we need live up to this system of values we claim to hold. There are other ways we can support public safety, and I'm willing to explore all options. But ALPRs have proven to be a tool with more instances of irresponsible usage than we should be accepting or allowing to be normalized. Including my own plates being run for a check by another police agency while I was Mayor of Albany. (I have since needed to change my plates for safety)
As a person of color, and someone with many family members who are immigrants, I cannot in good conscience enable further proliferation of questionable tools like ALPRs in our community.

You can find the city staff report here:

09/03/2026

09/03/2026

Much love to the community who came out to hear us.
I take the endorsement result as a healthy challenge that folks expect to see more.

We want to thank the Albany Democratic Club and the community again, for their civic engagement. This is what makes our democracy worth fighting for.
Though no candidate received an endorsement for the city council race, this does not equate to anyone being rejected by the club or the community as a whole.
It takes courage and bravery to run for elected office and participate in public forums. Every candidate should be applauded who showed up on time and took the opportunity to share their platform.🇺🇸🤝👏

As the only true progressive, grassroot campaign for city council though, we are still fully committed to our values and policy positions for a more equitable and representative Albany.
We hope the well attended forum encourages more folks to join the Democratic Club, and attend future events like this Thursday for ballot measure discussions.

Endorsement outcomes weren’t what we had hoped for(for any candidate), but there’s still much work to be done, doors to be knocked, and voters to engage!

Consider requesting a yard sign to show support, or volunteer for the campaign!
www.AlbanyForward.org

Real Progressives. Real Grassroots. Real Albany.

09/02/2026

Much respect and appreciation to Albany Scanner for this coverage.
Yes, there is a clear divide among candidates.

The difference largely being tied to understanding actual governance and policy.

Real Progressives. Real Grassroots. Real Albany.

www.AlbanyForward.org

Incumbents defended their work. Challengers questioned their record.

08/30/2026

People tend to use the identity of being “progressive” like a buzzword. Claim they’re about that life, but spin around and pander to the status quo and get cozy with corporate spaces.
That ain’t it.

Seeing several folks seeking higher office, and not being true to what they claim they are is unfortunate.

08/30/2026

Found this classic from last year, while I was serving as Mayor and making sure to volunteer at every community event possible so folks knew what it meant to have a mayor that actually showed up and was present.

Appreciate the creativity and art we encourage in our city.

08/29/2026

Albany Forward candidates Aaron Tiedemann and Robin D. Lopez have been engaged with the future of Golden Gate Fields site for years.
We made sure to advocate to the governor’s office when we got them to visit us in Albany. Senator Arreguin’s advocacy and partnership on this has been substantial - which is why we’re proud to be endorsed by him and look forward to more future collaborations.

This isn’t the result of simply having good judgement. This is the result of being people-powered and having very clear policy positions for the future of our city. Positions that help shape and inform every scenario we encounter.
Before the closure of GGF, most folks didn’t have this on their bingo list of topics to make decisions on. Yet, we and fellow progressive council colleagues were proactive and prepared to meet the moment.
The moment is now. And our past work has shaped our ability to prioritize the city’s future for the benefit of our community!

Real Progressives. Real Grassroots. Real Albany.

Learn more and support our campaign: www.AlbanyForward.org

08/29/2026

Announcement!
State leaders have budgeted for $125mil to assist with the sale and transfer of the golden gate fields site to Trust for Public Land to facilitate transfer East Bay Regional Parks !
Shoutout to State Senator Jesse Arreguín for helping facilitate the advocacy and representation of our community voices!

Final vote still needs to happen. But we’re near the finish line of this portion. More work needs to be done.
I’m happy to have been directly involved with this process as well, and knowing we are inching towards an opportunity that will benefits generations in the future!