Election 2024
With two weeks to go before the election, supporters of Pamela Price are campaigning hard to convince voters to allow the progressive Alameda County district attorney to finish her first term. They are up against a heavily funded recall effort determined to see that Price’s tenure is as short-lived as that of Chesa Boudin, the progressive San Francisco district attorney who was recalled in 2022 — the year Price was elected. More than 60 Price supporters rallied Sunday outside the…
Three Oakland council members are giving up their seats, paving the way for new leaders to join the City Council. Council Members Dan Kalb and Treva Reid, and Vice Mayor Rebecca Kaplan are not running for reelection in November. Their exits have created an opportunity for three new members to join the eight-member council, putting the newcomers in a pivotal position for what is shaping up to be a tough budget season. “Three new members, replacing long-standing and experienced council…
A proposal to temporarily increase campaign contribution limits for the November election has stalled, after the City Council failed to meet a quorum for the legislation’s passage. The change, proposed by Councilmembers Janani Ramachandran and Kevin Jenkins, would have increased campaign contribution limits to $800 from individual donors and $1,500 from political committees until 2027. It passed its first reading on Oct. 1 in a 5-2 vote, but at the second reading, which was scheduled for last week, several council…
At a youth town hall meeting Tuesday, Mayor Sheng Thao said she was interested in how the government can better support young people and the importance of transitional housing for 18-year-olds as they become adults. She also said that the FBI raid on her house was an attempt to stop her from creating meaningful change in Oakland. “I know I did nothing wrong, so I’m not even tripping,” Thao said. The mayor faces a recall on Election Day after less…
At an event launching the campaign to fight her recall, Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao said Sunday that the FBI raid of her home in June was an “overreach” by the agency. Likening it to the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails just two weeks before the 2016 presidential election, Thao said the ongoing FBI probe is “undoubtedly putting a finger on the scale, influencing this election.” Thao reiterated that she is innocent, is not the target of the investigation, and has…
The Oakland City Council approved a proposal Tuesday to temporarily increase contribution limits for candidates in the upcoming election. The proposal, introduced by council members Janani Ramachandran and Kevin Jenkins, neither of whom is up for reelection this year, raises the maximum allowed contributions by $200 from individual donors and by $300 from political committees. “We want to let candidates control their own narrative without having to rely on expensive, independent expenditures that have already been … impacting these elections,”…
Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump will face off for the first time in a highly anticipated debate on Tuesday. With such high stakes, people from across the political spectrum will be gathering to watch history unfold. Here are three places where you can find debate watch parties in Oakland. Protect the House Presents: Debate watch party Nina Moore, 49, part-owner of Everett & Jones Barbeque, said her mother started the tradition of hosting a debate watch…
In the face of mounting political pressure, the Oakland City Council reversed course Tuesday and voted in favor of a November ballot measure that would beef up the Public Ethics Commission. Citing Oakland’s substantial budget shortfall, the council had previously turned down a proposal that includes a slate of reforms meant to modernize the city’s watchdog agency and give it more investigative muscle. Just under two weeks later, Councilmembers Carroll Fife and Rebecca Kaplan changed their minds. Fife, who called…
A century ago, in the shadow of a newly constructed Tribune Tower, a group of women met at Hotel Oakland to establish an organization that would reflect their nascent civic power. Over the ensuing 100 years, both landmarks would close, but the League of Women Voters of Oakland remains. Last month, on the shore of Lake Merritt, members of the Oakland League celebrated the organization’s centennial. Under strings of shimmering lights and a massive eucalyptus tree, generations of volunteers came…