Nick Richardson has been a registered member of the Republican Party since he was sixteen, though when he tells me this, he admits the party looked a lot different back then: “There was no MAGA, there was no Tea Party,” he says. He’s also aware of just how unorthodox his campaign for the District 6 seat on the Fresno City Council has been. Early in our conversation, he freely tells me he has “no love for lifetime politicians, shady backroom dealings, keeping secrets from the public, or for people who hop from seat to seat.” Richardson instead references Cincinnatus, a Roman statesman and military leader from the time of the Roman Republic, who ruled the empire during wartime but ultimately returned to his life as a farmer once the conflicts were resolved, as an example of his ideal political approach. When discussing his principles, Richardson firmly emphasizes his determination to treat his fellow candidates with respect, stating he has no interest in running a negative campaign where he attacks his opponents. To demonstrate this, he tells me the first thing he did when each of his fellow candidates announced their campaigns was to call them, introduce himself, and let them know that while they were now opponents, they were not running against each other but rather for the people of Fresno.
As the only Republican left in the race for the District 6 seat, Richardson assumed it was a “no-brainer” that he would secure the endorsement from the Fresno GOP. That was until fellow District 6 candidate Roger Bonakdar switched parties and was given the endorsement alongside him—a decision that, according to Richardson, is anyone’s guess as to why it was made, regardless of his personal views on the matter. When I asked him why he thinks he ultimately lost the endorsement from the Fresno GOP, Richardson pointed to two reasons tied to three promises he made when starting his campaign: that he would always show up to talk to anyone who wanted a conversation, he would always tell the truth, and that no one would outwork him during the campaign.
The Fresno GOP didn’t take his first promise seriously. However, when Richardson was approached by a group from the Middle East, representing various religious backgrounds and professions, who wanted to meet with him to learn more about his views, he readily agreed to meet them over dinner. Videos of this meeting circulated, and because some attendees were Palestinian, and a Palestinian flag was visible in the background, the California Republican Assembly withdrew their endorsement of Richardson’s campaign. Despite his initial panic, Richardson assessed the situation and concluded that the decision reflected more on the California Republican Assembly than on him. As long as he upheld his three promises, he would “sleep just fine” knowing he had lost the endorsement.
The second likely reason for losing the endorsement, Richardson says, involves a survey sent by LGBTQ Fresno to him and his three opponents. Like every other survey he received, Richardson responded in what he says he didn’t think was a particularly controversial manner. While he often hears from far-right politicians and voters that he’s “too libertarian,” he attributes this to agreeing with left-leaning people on certain issues where he believes the government should stay out of people’s personal lives, especially when it’s not harming anyone. Although he didn’t find his answers controversial, the fact that he even responded to the survey led far-right critics to accuse him of pushing a liberal agenda. Richardson tells me that unlike his opponents, who were willing to do whatever it took to maintain their endorsement, he received only a voicemail from the Fresno GOP chair stating that they had rescinded their endorsement, without offering any specific reasons. Still, Richardson remains determined to run his campaign based on his principles, asserting, “If someone doesn’t agree with you but you still think it’s the right thing to do, we’ll work together to bring people the voice they need.”
Richardson describes predicting his opponents’ thoughts as a “dangerous game.” However, when I asked him why he thought his fellow candidates didn’t respond to LGBTQ Fresno’s survey, he suggested several possible reasons, including concerns about losing votes or outright refusal to engage due to the organization’s name. For Richardson, the fact that the people of Fresno wanted to know his views was enough motivation to respond. He remains adamant that people deserve answers to their questions and concerns.
When I brought up the fact that some Republican citizens of Fresno, including former Fresno City Councilmember Jerry Duncan, had criticized his responses to LGBTQ Fresno’s survey on social media, Richardson responded by saying he doesn’t believe most conservatives in Fresno share those negative views. After all, “It’s 2024, not 2004,” and as societal views have evolved—especially regarding same-sex marriage—he believes that many people, including conservatives, have become more accepting of the LGBTQ+ community. To those who oppose his stance, Richardson argues that while the Republican Party has changed significantly, its founding values should mean that as long as you pay your taxes and obey the law, your personal life, including who you marry, shouldn’t be dictated by the government. “It’s not the government’s job to legislate morality based on their personal views of right and wrong,” he says. On issues related to children, such as whether books on sexual orientation and gender identity should be available in public libraries, Richardson continues this line of thinking, stating that parents, not the government, should be responsible for parenting their children.
If he loses the upcoming election because he “told the truth and talked to too many people,” Richardson says he will one day proudly tell his children that this is how he ran his campaign. Respect and honesty are what he wants from all politicians, and he believes that’s what Americans want from their elected representatives as well. They don’t want a polished figurehead—they want a real person who is always open to conversation. Even when I pointed out that LGBTQ+ issues weren’t listed on his campaign website’s policy page, Richardson seemed surprised and said his team must have taken it down. He acknowledged the mistake and assured me it would be put back up, even reading aloud what he had written under the section.
Despite not living in California, this interview has made me eager to see the results of this election. I’m curious whether Richardson’s more honest approach to politics will win over the hearts and minds of Fresno voters or ultimately be his downfall. In any case, one thing is certain: Richardson won’t regret the decisions he’s made throughout his campaign and is confident he will continue to honor his principles, whether or not he wins.
You can read more about Nick’s policy positions on his website.
So looking at his website and his policy statements, as of 10/12/24 he has not reposted any policy language related to the lgbt community. So is he a man who follows up on his verbal commitments with actions? Maybe not.