Election Day results: Incumbent Fife ahead in Oakland City Council District 3

Incumbent Carroll Fife led a crowded field in the Oakland City Council District 3 race after the first vote counts came in Tuesday night.

Fife is seeking a second term against five contenders. Her main priorities have been affordable housing, community safety, improving the city’s economy and environmental justice. She did not respond to requests for an interview.

If re-elected, her campaign website says, she will work toward implementing more affordable housing, protecting tenants from high rents, and investing in LGBTQ spaces as well as in education.

The winner is determined through ranked-choice voting, which requires a candidate to win more than 50% of the vote. Fife had not hit the 50% mark Tuesday night, with many more votes to count in the coming days.

The District 3 race is one of five City Council races on the ballot. Fife is one of only two incumbents who are running.

The other District 3 candidates are entrepreneur Baba Afolabi, Meron Semedar, a nonprofit executive, Michelle Hailey, community activist, Shan Hirsch, a home caregiver, and Warren Logan, a city planner who was in second place Tuesday.

Most of the candidates campaigned on a platform of affordable housing. According to city data, over half of Black households and Latino households in Oakland spend approximately 30% of their annual income on rent. 

Candidates also said homelessness is a major issue. In January, 5,490 individuals were unhoused in Oakland, according to the annual point-in-time survey by Alameda County, a 9% increase from 2022.

Logan, who raised over $50,000 more than Fife in his campaign, is prioritizing affordable housing and public safety. He has a background in local government and transportation affairs, working for former Mayor Libby Schaaf, and said that he is committed to increasing city government transparency. 

“My approach will focus on community input, ensuring that we are building neighborhoods where everyone can afford to live,” he said.

Afolabi, who was in third place Tuesday, said his main priorities are public safety, small businesses, affordable housing and increasing the police presence in Oakland.

District 3 encompasses West Oakland, the waterfront, downtown, Lake Merritt and the port.

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