Politics
Oakland voters have recalled Mayor Sheng Thao. With more than 65,000 votes tallied, 64% have said yes to a recall, prompting the need for a special election to elect a new mayor in a few months. In a statement acknowledging her defeat Friday night, Thao said, “I am deeply proud of the progress we created together and I am committed to ensuring we stay on track by supporting a smooth transition. It isn’t about me. It never has been. It…
Early election returns showed incumbent District 5 City Councilmember Noel Gallo with a strong lead over challengers Erin Armstrong and Dominic Prado Tuesday night. Gallo began his day walking the streets of District 5 accompanied by his wife and daughter. He stopped to visit homes, churches and schools, handing out flyers and door hangers and urging his constituents to vote. He planned to watch election results at home with family and friends. For Armstrong, Election Day started like any other…
Emeryville City Council member John Bauters was ahead of Oakland City Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas in the Alameda County supervisors race, early vote tallies showed Tuesday night. Both candidates promised to prioritize housing, homelessness, and public safety. They are running for the seat that Keith Carson has held since 1992. He announced in December that he would be retiring. The seat represents Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville, Piedmont, and much of Oakland. “The position requires collaboration with local governments, community organizations, and…
Ranked-choice divides Oakland voters — some want to scrap it, others want outreach to educate voters
In November 2022, Oakland resident Ima Ekong went to her local polling place to cast her vote in the city’s mayoral election. Two years later, she says she’s still unclear how ranked-choice voting, the ballot system used in city elections, selects winners and losers. “I think it is really confusing,” she said. Ekong is not alone. The 2022 election put a spotlight on ranked-choice voting with the surprise victory of Sheng Thao over Loren Taylor in the Oakland mayoral race…
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…
Pecolia Manigo believes her ultimate hope for Oakland — what she calls “equitable democracy” — is attainable. For evidence, she points to her own experience: Manigo was unemployed when she moved to Oakland with her infant daughter two decades ago. Now she’s the political director of Oakland Rising, an organization that helped bring to Oakland’s 2022 ballot Measure W, which passed with 74% approval from voters. The measure provides $100 “Democracy Dollars” for residents to donate to candidates in local…
An event on Saturday that was intended to build community in East Oakland started with discord. “You don’t live here!” yelled Johnny Williams, interrupting Mayor Sheng Thao’s introduction to her second “Talking Transition” event. She was in the middle of discussing city investments in deep East Oakland. “You keep saying deep East Oakland,” continued Williams, “but we’re one Oakland.” Williams was referencing Thao’s slideshow, which projected her social media slogan “#OneOakland.” According to Sean Maher, Oakland’s acting communications and engagement…
Nine candidates who want to be Oakland’s next mayor answered questions about gun violence, the environment and quality of life before an audience of about 50 voters Thursday at St. Columba Catholic Church in northwest Oakland. The forum was sponsored by Faith in Action East Bay, the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, the Alpha Nu Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and the Oakland chapter of the NAACP. The Rev. Ken Hamilton moderated, giving each candidate two…
Oakland voters will be asked on the Nov. 8 ballot if they want the city to give each of them $100 in campaign vouchers that could be donated to the candidates of their choice. The program would cost the city $4 million every two years. The City Council passed it Monday, with six votes in favor; Noel Gallo and Rebecca Kaplan were not present for the vote. “If we want to increase democracy, if we want more people who are…