Former Congresswoman Barbara Lee continues to emulate the legacy of her mentor, the late Ron Dellums, as she won the election to complete the term of ousted Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, who voters recalled in November. Dellums served as Oakland’s mayor from January 2007 until January 2011, after serving 13 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1971 until 1998. He worked as a lobbyist after leaving Congress before deciding to run for mayor of Oakland. Lee succeeded Dellums in Congress after serving as his Chief of Staff, and served 14 terms in the House until relinquishing her seat for an unsuccessful run for the Senate last year.
After nine rounds of tabulating votes, Lee was declared the winner over former Oakland City Councilman Loren Taylor, holding a 53 to 47 percent lead. Taylor conceded, although there were a few additional mail-in ballots to be counted. Nine candidates were running for mayor in the April 15 special election. Each voter could rank up to five candidates in order of preference. After the first round of voting, if no candidate has a majority of the vote (more than 50%), the candidate with the fewest votes is removed, and votes are retabulated. Lee won by approximately 5,000 votes.
Although the race was contentious at times, it lacked the vitriol that has become increasingly prevalent in American electoral politics in recent years. Many attribute this to the structure of the ranked-choice voting system, as candidates often refrain from attacking their opponents to be ranked as their opponents’ second or third choice. Taylor conceded the election with a relatively positive statement. Here is a portion of that statement.
“While the outcome was not what we worked for and hoped for, I am incredibly proud of the race we ran. Our campaign started as the underdog; most didn’t expect us to come this far or make it this close. We gained the support of nearly half the voting population despite having political insiders and labor unions spend heavily, spread lies, and rally against our efforts and your hopes for the city. Thanks to the heart, grit, and vision of our fearless team and supporters, we built a movement that resonated across Oakland, echoing the national dialogue about the waning relevance of a Democratic Party that puts old-guard politics over improving the lives of everyday people. I pray that Mayor-Elect Lee fulfills her commitment to unify Oakland by authentically engaging the 47% of Oaklanders who voted for me and want pragmatic, results-driven leadership.”
Barbara Lee will become the first black woman mayor of a central California City, joining fellow social worker Karen Bass, who left Congress in 2022 to become mayor of Los Angeles. Lee will complete the recalled mayor’s term and must run for reelection in November 2026. Like Bass, Lee will face enormous challenges when she assumes the role of city leader. Budget-wise, she will face an immediate $129 million shortfall with a projected deficit of $280 million over the next two years. While crime fell in most major U.S. cities in 2023, robberies in Oakland rose 38 percent, and motor vehicle theft swelled 44 percent. Homelessness, which plagues cities and towns across America, has doubled in Oakland over the last decade due to gentrification and inequality. The list goes on.
According to interim mayor Kevin Jenkins, mayor-elect Lee is expected to be sworn in within the next two weeks. She will hit the ground running with a 10-point plan for her first 100 days that includes bringing together Police Department leadership and representatives from the business community to coordinate and improve public safety, addressing the homeless crisis by seeking resources from Alameda County, and convening the CEOs of Oakland’s largest employers to discuss public-private initiatives, among others.
California’s Bay Area, which includes Oakland, San Francisco, and Berkeley, is one of the most popular regions in the country. Like the rest of the country, public investment has declined over the years in favor of tax cuts for the wealthy. We’re still waiting for relief to trickle down, and now we are witnessing disinvestment on steroids in Washington, DC. This is a tall order for even the most formidable social worker.