California Governor Jerry Brown endorses Libby Schaaf

California Governor Jerry Brown announced his endorsement of candidate Libby Schaaf at an event Monday afternoon.

The sounds of cheering, clapping, and whistling filled the air outside Oakland mayoral candidate Libby Schaaf’s campaign headquarters Monday as California Governor Jerry Brown was introduced on a small stage in the backyard. “This is so exciting, I may have to run for mayor again,” Brown joked as he took position in front of the…

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Oakland voters plan on early vote by mail

Early voters can drop off vote by mail ballots at an official ballot drop box, like this one at Oakland's René C. Davidson Courthouse.

It’s easy. It’s convenient. These two reasons repeatedly cited by voters, county election officials, voter advocacy groups and other organizations may account for the growing number of Oakland residents planning to vote early this year, by mail, instead of going to the polls on Election Day. Jamie Israel, 26, a server who works late shifts…

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Mayoral candidate: Courtney Ruby

Courtney Ruby, 47, is no stranger to politics.  Now in her eighth year as Oakland’s elected city auditor, she’s entered a large crowd of candidates seeking to unseat incumbent Mayor Jean Quan. “I have proven leadership experience,” she said. “I’ve been under the hood of almost every department, I know what’s broken, and I have…

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Mayoral candidate: Patrick McCullough

Mayoral candidate Patrick McCullough, an electronic technician and lawyer, asserts he has “the experience from working with people in all levels of society that is essential to bring the change Oaklanders have been wanting for a long time.” If elected, McCullough, 59, said he would address Oakland’s deficit problems alongside its unfunded liability issue. He…

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Mayoral candidate: Libby Schaaf

Libby Schaaf

Libby Schaaf, a District 4 councilmember who announced her run for mayor last year, is hoping her policies on transparent government, safety, education and Oakland’s economy will win her City Hall’s top office in November. Schaaf, 48, has been involved in Oakland’s local government since 1999, when she worked as chief of staff for then-council…

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Mayoral candidate: incumbent Mayor Jean Quan

Undaunted by critics of her leadership, incumbent Oakland Mayor Jean Quan, the first Asian American woman elected to lead a major U.S. metropolis, is fighting to keep her job at City Hall.  Her platform stresses a lifetime of service, from her days as a councilmember working to keep libraries open, to her Peace in the Parks program aiming…

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Mayoral candidate: Peter Liu

When he turned 23, Army veteran Peter Y. Liu came home from Iraq and found that there wasn’t a job waiting for him in his military specialty, journalism.  The largest metropolitan newspapers on the West Coast were in the midst of downsizing. Now at 33, after a decade of working in the nonprofit, insurance and…

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Mayoral candidate: Nancy Sidebotham

Tax specialist Nancy Sidebotham, 69, said she’s run for the Oakland City Council six times. She’s never won a seat. But, to her mind, she’s never lost either. “There’s not too many candidates that lose, and stay involved,” said Sidebotham, who’s lived in Oakland for more than 50 years, and served on the Community Policing…

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Mayoral candidate: Jason “Shake” Anderson

Former Occupy spokesperson Jason ‘Shake’ Anderson, a U.S. Navy veteran, artist and activist, is a candidate for Oakland mayor. “What I see in the city is a lot of dysfunction, a lack of leadership and a lack of direction,” said the 38-year-old Oakland native, citing the resignation of the city administrator and multiple police chiefs…

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Mayoral candidate: Dan Siegel

Attorney and Oakland mayoral candidate Dan Siegel has some big plans for the city. And he wants your vote. “I have the ideas, experience, and ability to be a great mayor of the city of Oakland,” Siegel said. He faces a tough field that so far includes 14 other competitors for the city’s top job.…

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Mayoral candidate: Bryan Parker

Bryan Parker

Bryan Parker embraces being an outsider. Although Jean Quan appointed him to the Port Commission in 2012, most know him as a former healthcare and tech executive. He sees his lack of political experience as an advantage in his run to become Oakland’s next mayor. Parker pointed to his record of business leadership, saying that as…

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