Rex Richardson Bio
Rex Richardson (born August 18, 1983) is an American politician who has served as the mayor of Long Beach, California since December 2022. A member of the Democratic Party, he became the first Black mayor of the city after winning a runoff election on November 8, 2022. Before his elevation to the mayor’s office, Richardson represented the 9th District on the Long Beach City Council from 2014 to 2022 and previously served as vice mayor. He is widely recognized for championing housing initiatives, police oversight, and an ambitious economic development agenda focused on aerospace, clean technology, and tourism.
Early Life and Background
Rex Richardson was born at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois to a family shaped by public service and industrial labor. His father served in the United States Air Force, while his mother worked as a welder on an assembly line for General Motors. After his parents divorced, Richardson and his siblings moved with their mother through several states, including Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, and Pickens County, Alabama. The family eventually settled in California when he was eleven years old.
Richardson graduated from Covina High School and went on to enroll at California State University, Dominguez Hills, where he served as student body president. He later dropped out of college without completing his degree in order to work full-time as a community organizer for the Service Employees International Union Local 721. In 2020, while already serving in elected office, Richardson returned to his studies through remote learning and ultimately completed his bachelor’s degree at Cal State Dominguez Hills.
Path to US Politics
Richardson’s entry into politics grew out of his early work as a community organizer in the Long Beach area. In 2010, ninth district City Council member Steve Neal hired Richardson as his chief of staff and entrusted him with organizing neighborhood groups throughout the district. This role gave Richardson direct experience with local policymaking, constituent services, and the coalition-building required for city-level campaigns.
When Neal decided to run for the California State Assembly in 2014, Richardson stepped forward as his successor on the Long Beach City Council. He won the seat and quickly established himself as an active legislator, launching the My Brother’s Keeper Challenge in Long Beach in 2015 to expand opportunities for young men of color. His colleagues on the council elected him vice mayor in 2016, a position that positioned him for a future mayoral run.
Rex Richardson Career
Early Career (2014–2021)
Richardson began his elected career in 2014 when he won the Long Beach City Council seat for the 9th District. During his first term, he focused on youth opportunity programs, neighborhood safety, and equitable economic growth in communities that had historically been overlooked. His work on the My Brother’s Keeper Challenge became one of his early signature efforts.
In 2016, the council selected Richardson to serve as vice mayor, a role that allowed him to build relationships with regional leaders, business groups, and labor organizations. Throughout the late 2010s, he continued to champion affordable housing, public safety reforms, and workforce development, laying the policy groundwork for his later mayoral agenda. Even while serving on the council, Richardson kept his ties to organized labor and community organizing alive, frequently crediting those roots for his approach to governance.
Mayoral Breakthrough (2022)
Richardson announced his candidacy for mayor of Long Beach in January 2022, following the retirement of Mayor Robert Garcia, who left to run for the United States House of Representatives. He quickly assembled a broad coalition of endorsements, including Senator Alex Padilla, Governor Gavin Newsom, and outgoing Mayor Garcia.
In the June 7, 2022, primary election, Richardson and fellow council member Suzie Price received the largest vote totals, but neither secured a majority, sending the race to a runoff. Richardson won the November 8, 2022, runoff decisively and was sworn in on December 20, 2022, becoming the first Black mayor in Long Beach history. His victory was widely viewed as a generational transition for the city and a reflection of its growing diversity.
Long Beach Mayoral Era (2022–Present)
Since taking office, Richardson has pursued an active policy and economic development agenda. In 2023, he appointed former Sacramento County Inspector General Francine Kerridge as the city’s first Police Oversight Commissioner, and he has continued to prioritize diversity in his appointments. According to publicly reported figures, Richardson has appointed 32 commissioners, of whom 53 percent are women and 59 percent are members of racial minority groups.
He also rolled out the Grow Long Beach Initiative, a long-term economic strategy designed to expand tourism, aerospace, aviation, and clean-technology industries while reducing the city’s historical reliance on fossil fuels. The initiative has helped attract major employers to the city, including the space technology company Vast, spacecraft manufacturer ExLabs, Blue Shield of California, Rocket Lab, JetZero, Ford Motor Company, Nikon, and defense technology firm True Anomaly. He also launched the Long Beach Housing Promise in April 2023 to expand affordable housing opportunities for students and families, and in 2024 he unveiled the West Side Promise, a 10-year investment plan to revitalize West Long Beach.
Richardson advanced a $3.2 billion budget focused on homelessness, infrastructure, and preparations for the 2028 Olympic Games, anchored by a long-term capital plan known as Elevate 28. He also announced the development of the Hard Rock Hotel in downtown Long Beach and celebrated the reopening of the historic Fairmont Breakers Long Beach in late 2024.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Richardson’s signature milestones is his 2022 victory that made him the first Black mayor of Long Beach, a moment widely seen as historic for the coastal city. He has also marked the successful relocation of several high-profile companies to Long Beach, including Ford’s new Advanced Electric Vehicle Development Center and the headquarters of JetZero. His State of the City addresses in 2023 and 2024 served as major platforms for announcing major job-creating projects and capital investments.
Rex Richardson Family
Family Background and Public Service Lineage
Richardson was raised in a household rooted in military service and skilled industrial labor. His father’s career in the United States Air Force exposed the family to frequent relocations across several states before they ultimately settled in California. His mother’s work as a General Motors welder helped shape Richardson’s early appreciation for organized labor and working-class advocacy, themes that have continued to influence his political career.
Personal Life
Rex Richardson lives in North Long Beach with his wife, Nina. The couple has two daughters. His family life in the same district he once represented on the council has remained a central part of his public identity, and he frequently highlights his North Long Beach roots when discussing neighborhood priorities.