Alameda County Supervisors approve independent recount of November ranked choice voting races. Is it legal?
Hayward appoints planning commissioner to City Council; What if Barbara Lee runs for U.S. Senate?
COUNTY NEWS
—RECOUNT APPROVED—The Alameda County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a plan on Tuesday evening for an independent recount of last November’s ranked choice voting elections in Oakland and San Leandro.
—It’s unclear when the recount will commence or if its legal.
—Supervisor Keith Carson, who last Thursday proposed a multi-point proposal to begin rebuilding trust in the county’s elections, said the plan will focus on Oakland’s nailbiter mayoral race, and the Oakland school board race in which a change in the outcome has already been reported by the county registrar,
—In addition, the San Leandro mayoral race won by 296 votes will also be recounted, along with the San Leandro City Council race in District 5 won by 32 votes.
—“We have checks and balance at all levels of government and, in cases in which we have direct oversight—the registrar’s office—this is our attempt for checks and balances and instilling trust in Alameda County for voting and selecting our government,” Carson said.
—But there are some big questions yet to be answered about whether the board’s decision is legal. First and foremost is the window for a recount has already passed and Alameda County Registrar of Voters Tim Dupuis may no longer have the authority to reopen last November’s ballots.
—Supervisor David Haubert raised the potential legal problem on Tuesday. Haubert asked whether or not the board has the authority to order the registrar to commit to their proposal and whether it could attract a legal challenge.
—“Any action can be challenged,” Alameda County County Counsel Donna Ziegler said, “It is our intent to proceed to achieve these things through legal means.”
—Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao has already taken office, as has San Leandro Mayor Juan Gonzales, and San Leandro Councilmember Xouhoa Bowen. Nick Resnick, the certified winner in the Oakland District 4 school board race, recently received the oath of office. Both San Leandro officials have already participated in two council meetings.
—“The bell has been rung. we cannot un-rung it,” Supervisor Carson acknowledged on Tuesday. “This is more important for the future than it was for the present,” he said of the board’s decision, which includes others items, such as creating a county election oversight committee.
—The county appears far from actually setting a date to begin a recount. Carson said county counsel needs time to research election law. “I’m not sure how long that might take,” he said. Carson’s proposal was first laid out last Thursday.
—The county counsel’s office is currently understaffed. Ziegler said outside counsel may be brought in to study the issue. On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors authorized Ziegler to retain outside counsel. “We all want to put this issue to rest in as a transparent process as we can,” Ziegler said.
—TENANT ORDINANCES—A trio of tenant protection ordinances approved by the Board of Supervisors on Dec. 20 was set for a second reading today. The ordinances, include just cause protections, a rent registry, and a ban on landlords using a renter’s criminal history for consideration of tenancy.
—With a new board sworn-in this month, the ordinances faced potential alterations or even rescission on Tuesday. Supervisor Keith Carson requested to continue the agenda items to their Jan. 24 meeting, along with an agenda item asking to reopen discussions for modifying the county’s eviction moratorium.
CITY NEWS
HAYWARD
—GOLDSTEIN STANDARD—To quote fictional racecar driver Ricky Bobby, “If you ain’t first, you’re last.” But in Hayward politics, “If you ain’t first or second, but third, you’re a councilmember.”
—The Hayward City Council approved the appointment of Dan Goldstein to serve the remaining two years of new Hayward Mayor Mark Salinas’ council term.
—Goldstein finished third behind Julie Roche and George Syrop in last November’s at-large Hayward City Council race for two open seats.
—Five of six councilmembers approved Goldstein’s appointment on Monday night. Councilmember Syrop, who edged out Goldstein for the second at-large seat in last November’s election, abstained.
—“This is probably the most serous decision the six of us up here will be making at least for the next two years,” said Salinas, who backed Goldstein. He believes, following the most recent campaign season, that Goldstein “has been thoroughly vetted by regional, local stakeholders, and a lot of local groups.”
—Councilmember Francisco Zermeno echoed Salinas’ assessment. “I need to do the right thing,” Zermeno said, “and the right thing is to listen to over 7,000 people that voted for Dan Godlstein. To go against doesn’t seem right to me.”
—“I’m overwhelmed with joy,” Goldstein said after receiving the oath of office and taking his seat on the council dais. “I’m containing it because we’re a serious legislative body.”
—Goldstein, a member of the Hayward Planning Commission, along with Ray Bonilla, also a member of the commission, was viewed as frontrunners for the appointment.
—The council interviewed five candidates on Monday night. In addition, to Goldstein and Bonilla; Aidan Ali-Sullivan, another member of the planning commission, was interviewed; as was Community Services Commissioners Artavia Berry and Austin Bruckner. Forty-five applications for the appointment were received by the city last week.
ELECTION 2024
—FLOODGATES OPEN—SoCal Rep. Katie Porter announced her run for the U.S. Senate on Tuesday morning. Porter jumping into the ring for 2024 will certainly led to others announcing their own campaigns shortly and signal the end of 89-year-old Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s long run in Washington.
—Last month, we talked about potential suitors for the senate seat. They include Rep. Adam Schiff and two East Bay congressmembers, Reps. Barbara Lee and Ro Khanna.
—There’s talk that Lee’s candidacy is almost a sure thing. Khanna has been playing at the edges of a run for U.S. Senate and possibly president some time in the future.
—It’s worth noting that Porter’s introductory campaign video throws a veiled shot at Khanna and his connection to stock trading as a member of Congress.
—2024 MERRY-GO-ROUND?—A potential Lee senate campaign in 2024 would set off a mad dash for her seat in the Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, and San Leandro congressional district.
—Buffy Wicks in the 14th Assembly District has long been seen as a fit for the seat because of her connection to Hillary Clinton and D.C. insiders.
—Other names include former Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, Assemblymember Mia Bonta, and former Oakland Councilmember Loren Taylor. State Sen. Nancy Skinner could also be a player, but her name has been linked to the Alameda County Board of Supervisors.
—Skinner is termed out of the state Senate in 2024, so many of these same elected officials interested in Lee’s congressional seat may also have the the upper house of the state Legislative in their minds.
