ANTIOCH – A mayoral candidate here who calls himself a “man of principles” has repeatedly left voicemails with this newspaper that include antisemitic slurs punctuated with expletives.
Rakesh Kumar Christian, who unsuccessfully ran for Antioch mayor in 2020 and for Hayward’s City Council in 2014, left numerous messages with a Bay Area News Group staff member in recent years and as recently as May.
One message included an anti-Semitic trope, described sex acts and spoke of Muslim worshippers in a derogatory manner. In other rambling messages, Christian ranted about former President Barack Obama as well as the cartoon character Mickey Mouse and the Antichrist.
He demanded that the voicemail recipient “read the Bible,” after referencing the CEOs of Citibank, Microsoft and Google.
“Die quickly,” he said on one voicemail.
In a recent phone interview, Christian said he was unaware of the voicemails sent from his number in a voice clearly resembling him. “I don’t recall nothing,” he said. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He also said that the newspaper employee was “his brother,” adding “you don’t know how much I give to Israel.”
Christian is among three candidates on the Nov. 5 ballot vying to lead Antioch, a city that garnered headlines in recent years amid allegations of widespread racism and bigotry throughout its police force after a series of text messages sent among officers were uncovered.
Nearly half of the department’s officers received at least one of the text messages, which referred to Black people as “gorillas” and “water buffalo,” while frequently using the n-word.
Reforming the city’s police department is one of numerous key issues at play in the race to become Antioch’s mayor this year, along with concerns about homelessness and the city’s economy.
Also vying for the post is Mayor Lamar Hernandez-Thorpe and Ron Bernal, Antioch’s former city manager.
Christian previously ran for Antioch mayor four years ago, when he finished in last place among five candidates, garnering 3% of the vote. His campaign website – which appears to have only been partially completed – frames him as an “an ordinary citizen” who immigrated to the U.S. from India and arrived in Antioch in 2017.
“God gave me many opportunities in my life,” the opening line of his candidate statement reads. “I jumped into politics because revolutionary acts can mean success for all humankind.”
His website also said he has battled disabilities stemming from injuries to his spine and head, which were suffered during an apparent auto-pedestrian crash, as well as an attack of some sort.