Nat Bates for Mayor

Filmmakers Eric Weiss and Bradley Berman's documentary covers a contentious 2014 mayoral race in the primarily working-class Bay Area city of Richmond, CA. City Councilman Nat Bates, an African American former parole officer and longtime fixture on the council, sought the mayoralty with the backing of Chevron, which has a 2,900-acre refinery in the city. But a 2012 fire at the refinery galvanized members of the Richmond Progressive Alliance (RPA), which views Chevron as a threat to the health and well-being of the city's residents. Here, the RPA goes through some political hiccups before settling on its candidate, Councilman Tom Butt, who is better known for his quick and loud temper than for legislative accomplishments. The two main candidates represent very different constituencies: Bates is the idol of the older African American community, many of whom came to Richmond in the 1940s to work in the defense industry, while Butt appeals to those who want to move Richmond towards a gentrification mirror image of neighboring Berkeley. Chevron's favoritism of Bates becomes an issue, and the Butt campaign gets an inspirational visit from Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders (two years before his groundbreaking presidential campaign). Nat Bates for Mayor offers an often fascinating fly-on-the-wall view of small city politics and the frequent lapses into pettiness and tribalism that result in polarized communities. Presented in the full-length version and a 57-minute abridgement, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)