The top two candidates in Oakland‘s special election for mayor spent the weekend canvassing neighborhoods and making their closing arguments to voters in a city riddled with problems.
Oakland has yet to bounce back from the pandemic, has a serious public safety problem, and has seen city services slashed due to a budget deficit and years of mismanagement.
Oakland had a sudden vacancy at the top after voters ousted former Mayor Sheng Thao in November. Thao, who served in the position for two years, was federally indicted on bribery, corruption, and fraud charges. She was the nation’s first mayor of a major city to be voted out of office midterm in over a decade.
A crowded field rushed in to replace her, including former Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) and her more moderate opponent, Loren Taylor, who has gained traction by tapping into voter frustration.
“We’re walking precincts, we’re phone banking, we’re texting,” Taylor told KTVU while going door-to-door in east Oakland’s Eastmont Hills neighborhood. “Voters in Oakland are frustrated that every time they vote for something, they’re getting promises, but folks aren’t delivering. They’re paying more taxes year after year, and the benefits, the services, are diminishing. So they’re really looking for someone who can take control of the city and deliver on our promises.”
Over at the farmer’s market in Jack London Square, Lee spoke about the importance of small businesses in the economy.
“Small businesses really give life to our city and are critical to not only our economic development and creation of jobs but to the vibrancy of this great, beautiful city,” Lee said.
The former congresswoman pitched a plan to revitalize Oakland by meeting with the CEOs of the city’s 10 largest employers to develop a collaborative strategy to boost the economy and improve public safety.
Taylor, who represented portions of east Oakland on the City Council, narrowly lost the 2022 bid for mayor. He is widely seen as the only challenger to Lee in the race, though there are nine candidates.
Taylor said he wanted to fix the city, while Lee said she wanted to unify it.
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In January, Lee, 78, left Washington, D.C., after losing her bid for the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s seat. Then-Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) won the crowded primary and general election.
The loss ended Lee’s nearly three-decade career in Congress, during which her fight for civil rights made her a hometown hero. However, when she returned to Oakland, the city was a mess and in desperate need of a new leader.
