Curious about how Eric Sundberg will fight for the working class of Richmond? From his commitment to uplifting the working class to his comprehensive vision for a better Richmond, we're here to answer all your questions. Learn how Eric is prepared to be the best advocate he can be for you!
As a candidate for Richmond's 7th city council district, I believe I am qualified to serve the people of Richmond's East End because I know my responsibility ultimately is to the people of Richmond, not to corporate interests. As the Chief of Staff for a General Assembly member, I gained firsthand knowledge of the political games played in government and how those games are often aimed at giving the 1% more money. The end goal informing so many policy decisions is dependent on the enrichment of billionaires and major corporate players. The only friends I have to enrich are the everyday, working-class people of Richmond and beyond.
My belief is that all wealth should be held in common in our city. The working people of Richmond cleared the land on which this city stands, built the homes, and built the towers in which money is made—without the people this city cannot run, but people don't have a council that works for them. I'm running to change that.
Experiences inside and outside the halls of government have given invaluable insights into the struggles of the working class against a system focused on profit over people. I have witnessed firsthand the games politicians play and the challenges faced by working-class individuals. Having grown up during the 2008 housing recession and personally experienced the economic struggles that many Virginians face, I have a deep understanding of the hardships and inequalities that exist in our society. Moreover, my work with brilliant organizers, activists, and teachers across the state and beyond has taught me to challenge the continued inequalities faced by Americans. The way to lift all people, whether Black or White, rich or poor, young or old, is to give each person the freedom to pursue their dreams. That means living up to the "protection of the general welfare" established in the U.S. Constitution. That means the government should serve the people. That means guaranteed housing. That means guaranteed quality of life. That means righting long overdue wrongs.
My commitment to fighting for the working class, advocating for affordable housing, and promoting government accountability drives my passion to bring about real change. I am prepared to use my knowledge, determination, and dedication to deliver results that benefit everyday people in Richmond's 7th city council district and empower our communities to dream of a city that works for the many, not the few.
The definition of who qualifies as "working-class" can be argued endlessly, but for me, I have a simple, straightforward definition: if you have to work for a living, then you are working-class.
I hold this broad definition because there is more that unites those who work than those who profit off the labor of others without laboring themselves. Of course, there is a wealth gap between the working poor and the working rich but compared to the 1% of wealth-holders in America, we have more to gain when we join forces in solidarity. Working people built this country, oftentimes unpaid and against their will. But those who benefit from our labor do not contribute the same blood, brain, and brawn we contribute to keeping to gears of the world's economy turning. I believe the working class deserves to control the means of production and reap the benefits of our labor.
Whether you're a janitor keeping the halls of a Fortune 500 company clean, the chef preparing the food for the next board meeting, or the analyst who put together the report being presented, we deserve the same quality of life as the board members. The quality of life to go home to our families and spend our lives together joyously. The quality of life to relax and enjoy the beauty of this world. The quality of life to pursue our dreams and dream even bigger. We each deserve our fair share of the pie—our campaign is determined to distribute that pie equally.
I identify as a democratic socialist. Think Bernie Sanders (I-VT), or past politicians such as Eugene V. Debs and Norman Thomas. That means I believe the ideal social and economic system is one where all people are provided with their basic needs and that all of the fruits of our labor are shared for the collective benefit of humanity; no person should ever be too poor to live. It also means I believe representatives must win power through free and fair democratic elections which allow every citizen to vote.
That does NOT mean I support abolishing personal property, shutting down a ma and pa store, forcing people to work, mandatory readings, or a single-party state. In an ideal society, you have freedom of speech and choice while also being free from poverty and exploitation. I am undeniably supportive of free and fair elections. I believe political regimes which attempt to crush opposition inevitably will fail and the people revolt against anti-democratic oppression. A just society must have free and fair elections, without interference from any political party. I believe representatives who stand for the interests of the working class will continue to hold their seats in a democracy if they continue to serve the working class and do not abandon their beliefs for their own personal gain.
Some use the word "socialist" as a boogeyman against any political movement they disagree with. They often attempt to illicit negative connotations of corrupt authoritarianism and the Cold War. But socialism is more than a few flawed examples in the same way capitalism is more than just the success stories of billionaires. Socialism is a system built around the people whereas capitalism is a system built around money. It's quite literally in either's name, social referencing society while capital referencing capital wealth.
When we review the history of capitalism, its most ardent supporters want to think of the glamor and dominance of Wall Street and billionaire playboys. In reality, the history of capitalism is a history of exploitation, enslavement, poverty, hunger, and inhuman cruelty. The success of American capitalism was built off the labor of those who did not share in the spoils. From the prisonous plantations of the old South to the monstrous mills of the old North, or the Chinese Exclusion Act in California to the Battle of Blair Mountain in the heart of Appalachia, capital has driven mankind to depravity—justifying the exploitation and othering their fellow man. I believe capitalism has brought pain and suffering to the working class in Virginia, the United States, and the world as a whole. The primary goal of humanity should not be the merciless pursuit of endless profit at the expense of the general welfare. In contrast, I believe that a system of political and economic organization built around democracy, equality, and freedom from poverty is essential for true liberty and justice.
My political beliefs are deeply rooted in my own experiences; witnessing the pain of inequality strip people of their dreams, being saddled with tens of thousands in college debt, and hearing each year another "once-in-a-generation" economic disaster means more austerity—all of these moments have helped me realize the unstable foundation on which we've built our society. And it is evident I am not alone in this revelation. In fact, the critique of exploitative economic and social systems dates back to some of our oldest works. Readings of the wisdom of scholars both secular and religious reinforced my belief that an unjust system can never survive. It is not hard to find evidence that humans have always sought to challenge the inequities of unjust and unequal societies:
"Woe to him who builds his house by unjust gain, setting his nest on high to escape the clutches of ruin!" - Habakkuk 2:9 (NIV)
"No one is able to serve two adonim (masters). For either he will have sinah (hatred) for the one and ahavah (love) for the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve Hashem (God) and Mammon (Money)." — Matthew 6:24 (OJB)
"And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had all things common." - Acts 4:32 (KJV)
"Labor is prior to, and independent of, capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration." — President Abraham Lincoln, in the State of the Union Address, 1861.
"The [Brooklyn] Eagle and I are at war. I hate the system which it represents, apologizes for and upholds. When it fights back, let it fight fair. Let it attack my ideas and oppose the aims and arguments of Socialism. It is not fair fighting or good argument to remind me and others that I cannot see or hear. I can read. I can read all the socialist books I have time for in English, German and French. If the editor of the Brooklyn Eagle should read some of them, he might be a wiser man and make a better newspaper. If I ever contribute to the Socialist movement the book that I sometimes dream of, I know what I shall name it: Industrial Blindness and Social Deafness." — Helen Keller, New York Call, November 3, 1912.
"Call it democracy, or call it democratic socialism, but there must be a better distribution of wealth within this country for all God's children." — Martin Luther King, Jr. in a speech to the Negro American Labor Council, 1961.
Regardless of the foundation of your beliefs, if you believe that the people who work the hardest are not rewarded the most for their labor, I believe I can represent you. At the end of the day, political definitions only attempt to quantify much more complex ideas and human emotions. If you believe the goal of the government should be to benefit the people, then we are on the same page. My loyalty is to the people and regardless of my personal convictions, any power I am granted as your council member stems from you and the people.