Terence Candell fights for role as mayor

Terence Candell

Oakland mayoral candidate Terence Candell isn’t an easy man to ignore—in fact, he believes it is one of the keys to being elected mayor of Oakland. “What do I say to the people who think that I’m going to scare people away? I say good!” he said. “Its about time that they met a real black man who doesn’t back down when someone gets scared.”

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Tracking the candidates’ financial interests

Oakland City Hall

This information helps voters make informed decisions, and helps the public detect any potential conflicts of interest that might tempt an official to use her office for personal gain. In California, this information is recorded on a document called the “Statement of Economic Interests,” or Form 700 under the state’s Fair Political Practices Commission.

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On Brown’s turf, Oaklanders tell us their choice for governor

Standing at 14th street and Broadway, Oakland resident George Abregotti talks about why his vote will go to Meg Whitman.

As the heated California gubernatorial race moves into its final days, Oaklanders offer their opinions on who should take the seat. Will it be billionaire former Ebay CEO Meg Whitman or 1970s era governor and former mayor of Oakland, Jerry Brown? Oakland North went to the Temescal and City Center districts to find out. Check…

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Former union leader challenges incumbent in school board election

Incumbent Gary Yee (above) faces Ben Visnick in the District Four school board election. Photo courtesy of Gary Yee.

Although three of the seven board members are up for re-election in November, only one seat is being challenged. Incumbents David Kakishiba and Christopher Dobbins have no opposition, and so will automatically retain their school board seats. But Gary Yee, the current board president, has an opponent who is also a longtime adversary—former teachers’ union president Ben Visnick.

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Popularity of mail-in ballots increases as election nears

Shirley Phillips, a Registrar of Voters employee, sorts returned mail-in ballots. The last day to request a mail-in ballot in Alameda County is October 26. Photo courtesy of Alameda County Registrar of Voters.

Absentee ballots were once used mostly by ex-pats, military families and diplomats strewn across the globe. They voted from far-away locales by filling out ballots at home and mailing them in, while the rest of the population spent a chunk of the day standing in a long line to cast a vote at their neighborhood poll. Now, in California, the mail-in ballot isn’t just for those abroad—it’s for everyone.

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Oakland mayoral candidates protest Perata spending

Mayoral candidates gather at Oakland City Hall

Five of the ten candidates for Oakland mayor stood on the steps of Oakland City Hall Tuesday afternoon to reaffirm their commitment to campaign expenditure limits while slamming fellow candidate Don Perata, accusing him of attempting to raise the spending ceiling agreed upon by all candidates.

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Meg Whitman moves into Democratic territory

Whitman Oakland office

Meg Whitman’s Oakland campaign office is a modest white building, tucked between a Subway restaurant and an unrented space on Lakeshore Avenue, distinguished only by the “Meg 2010” signs in every window. The Republican gubernatorial candidate’s office has turned heads and raised questions about the strategy of establishing a campaign headquarters in Oakland, opponent Jerry Brown’s home turf.

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