East Bay November Election Preview: Part 2 - Kaplan vs. Tam is a proxy battle between labor and landlords

Best of the rest: Berkeley City Council in District 8; San Leandro, Livermore mayor; AC Transit at-large

6. ALCO BOARD OF SUPERVISORS DISTRICT 3

For much of the June primary season it was difficult to discern what Rebecca Kaplan’s campaign for Alameda County supervisor was doing outside of the Oakland portion of District 3. Alameda and San Leandro, the power centers of the district didn’t seem to get much of Kaplan’s attention. But the June primary result was a strong win for Kaplan that may have been more about a trio opponents who were underfunded and out of the local political scene so long that they had become unknowns to voters. Kaplan is going to have to work harder in the General Election. Former Alameda Councilmember Lena Tam has recast herself as a moderate with a few key alias willing to spend mightily to block expansion of tenants’ rights in the county. Tam cleaned up in a few large Asian American communities in Alameda and San Leandro, but she needs to expand her electoral map. Kaplan is fully funded by labor unions, so she can match anything landlords throw at her campaign. Once again, expect IEs to sling mud. If Kaplan wins the General Election, the result will momentarily shift the focus to the Oakland City Council next January to appoint Kaplan’s replacement to serve the remaining two years of her term in the at-large seat.

7. BERKELEY CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 8

In hindsight, Berkeley Councilmember Lori Droste told us all that she would likely serve only one term in office after winning the District 8 seat in 2018…