R.D. López

R.D. López City Council - City of Albany.
1st Latino/Indigenous Mayor of Albany. Former Commissioner. Ecologist. Scholar. Photographer. Father. Robin D.

López was raised in San Pablo and Richmond, CA (Ohlone Land) and spent much of his youth working in Oakland and San Francisco. He has an academic and research background invested locally. López attended De Anza High School (Richmond, California) and graduated from Contra Costa College (San Pablo, California) with degrees in Mathematics(AS), Physics(AS), and Sociology(AA) . He transferred and gradu

ated from San Francisco State University with a BS in Civil Engineering. López most recently completed graduate studies at San José State University in Water Resources Engineering, and is also a Research Associate at the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (2012-present), working on several projects for the U.S. Department of Energy addressing subsurface technology. Presently he is a Ph.D Candidate at the University of California, Berkeley in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, & Management. He also mentors and teaches 4th/5th grade scholars for a local non-profit, Metas. His trajectory in life was once misguided, not uncommon for many young people from his region, but a passion for the STEM field grew out of resources, opportunities and mentorship. He now commits himself to outreach, ensuring rising scholars can actualize their potential. He cares passionately about mental health awareness and access, science justice and equity, and why people put pineapple on pizza. Outside of the scholarly work, research, and outreach, he is a parent. Working hard to ensure his children are equipped with the best tools and resources possible to inch our society closer to a more just and equitable space.

05/20/2026

Don’t ask, and you won’t need to worry about a thing.
Turn a new leaf, and let the magic happen when you give people a chance to actualize their potential.

Richmond fam - if you’re in District 3, vote for Doria Robinson . I give my full endorsement!She has pioneered tremendou...
05/15/2026

Richmond fam - if you’re in District 3, vote for Doria Robinson . I give my full endorsement!
She has pioneered tremendous transformation and actively acknowledges the true footprint of local folks.
Under her leadership, we have witnessed movement on projects that once remained difficult to inch forward. We have witnessed a more active voice for the represented neighborhoods in D3. Intentional collaboration with city staff and community leaders. The bridge of hope and action.
We have seen what effective leadership looks like with Doria Robinson.
In these critical moments, we don’t need people with regurgitated words and empty promises. We need proven leadership that actually understands the roots of social and economic inequality, and how to reckon with these issues via intelligent policy and stakeholder engagement.
Doria Robinson for City Council - District 3 is that beacon of hope we need right now in the local political arena.
I know I got hella friends in District 3 - y’all already know what’s up. 💯💯

I recently shared on my private page, that my son has been diagnosed with neurodivergent case of Autism.I hope to move h...
05/05/2026

I recently shared on my private page, that my son has been diagnosed with neurodivergent case of Autism.
I hope to move heavy in all our small city, to demonstrate how accepting and inclusive we are.
Nothing changes about how my son navigates his public interactions. But it certainly puts a level of community care we never recognized was occurring when everyone would show him love and provide him space to be himself.

Our city will be recognized for all the forward-moving energy we have for folks who live with diverse conditions. We’ve been doing it this whole time without realizing it.
Thanks for giving my son a safe place to call home thus far.
Parenting a child on th spectrum is one of the greatest gifts him and I can provide to the world - to show what empathy, compassion and inclusivity truly looks like in our city.

Albany folks, you’re amazing. Our diverse lived experiences are amazing.
Son, I love you in all your gentle chaos moments. 🧩♾️

There’s a new sheriff in town. And his approach is community-driven and accountability-focused. By the looks of it, he m...
05/05/2026

There’s a new sheriff in town. And his approach is community-driven and accountability-focused. By the looks of it, he means business. 😂

I don’t typically condone this behavior of strong-arm tactics, but my chief of staff says he has some restorative justice models he’d like to suggest as recommendations for the city’s public safety approach in .

First thing on the list is safety: protected cycle tracks on every street to protect pedestrians and cyclists.
Next on the list: a nap.
Everything else is in limbo after that.

Let’s celebrate neurodiversity, spread understanding, and build a world where every individual with ASD is accepted, res...
04/28/2026

Let’s celebrate neurodiversity, spread understanding, and build a world where every individual with ASD is accepted, respected, and supported.

Your favorite elected official might be your favorite outdoor science educator too. Environmentalism isn’t just simply a...
04/22/2026

Your favorite elected official might be your favorite outdoor science educator too.
Environmentalism isn’t just simply advocating for protected green spaces. That’s the bare minimum. We have a responsibility to empower and educate the next generation of change agents to be leaders and stewards of nature, with knowledge rooted in the works of the original land stewards.

These shots were part of an outdoor science camp I’m doing in my capacity as. PhD candidate at the Lair of the Golden Bear in Pinecrest, California. Our city of Albany is just beautiful too, and has equal opportunities for outdoor science education - whether at a local park, at , or the waterfront. There’s so much to explore and learn!

All images were captured by the talented and dope !

02/10/2026

From her time serving in the state assembly to Congress to her current role as Mayor of LA, Karen Bass has always been a fighter for the people of CA. I’m honored to receive her endorsement for my campaign for Lt. Gov. Thank you for believing in my vision for the future of CA.

To my younger self: Let kids be kids, they'll grow up soon enough. Being a beacon of representation for your community t...
02/10/2026

To my younger self: Let kids be kids, they'll grow up soon enough. Being a beacon of representation for your community takes immense strength and it's worth it.

Take up space in which others from similar communities, backgrounds, and life experiences can confidently project themselves. That’s the American way. 💯✌🏽🇺🇸

Something I’ve learned and have come to cherish deeply at the local level of politics - is we benefit tremendously with ...
01/31/2026

Something I’ve learned and have come to cherish deeply at the local level of politics - is we benefit tremendously with leadership that prioritizes the needs of community - whether it’s infrastructure, policy, social services, public safety, or simply just providing space and comfort for advocacy.
As a former mayor, I learned quickly that even though we may just be seen as figure-head for the city, there’s still an expectation to show up, to listen, and to acknowledge. None of this, requires literal major action. The duality can exist for us to be focused on local issues and policies, while providing space for what’s going on outside our city boundaries. Because ultimately, there is a societal connectedness and collective human consciousness that we all share, regardless of views and ideology, when things like unjustified ICE raids and abuse of government power impact us directly and indirectly.
When we see things like little Liam, who resembles my own son, being taken away as every process and protocol is being broken - it sparks a need to activate. We need to facilitate space to voice concerns and changes, to make others aware, to put pressure on appropriate leaders to make better decisions. And at the local level, community looks at us to determine how we leverage our influence, power, and platform to guide them towards a path of action and dialogue with appropriate decision-makers.
This photo captures that. Current Albany leader, Mayor McQuaid, didn’t simply show up. Actively present and passing out Sanctuary City posters to folks. We may be frustrated with what’s going on nationally, but we can hold space for the duality of happiness and smile, knowing we got each other and our community members.
A small city, with a big heart.
That’s how we activate in Albany.
Crush ICE.

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Albany, CA

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