It seems everybody on the Oakland City Council is aiming for higher office
OG Oakland official also filed for mayor last week
Former Oakland Councilmember Larry Reid toyed with the idea of running for mayor several times. He once put the decision in God’s hands. God ultimately said no. But Reid’s daughter, freshman Oakland Councilmember Treva Reid, said she is running next year to replace termed-out Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf. The announcement is not exactly surprising. Her campaign had filed an intent to run on the Oakland City Clerk’s website for weeks, but came without much fanfare.
Reid joins a likely large mayoral field currently at 11 candidates. Also not surprising. Oakland’s mayoral campaigns, regardless of whether an incumbent is running or its an open seat, attracts a large field of candidates and characters. Notably, Reid is the third sitting councilmember to join the race. Oakland Councilmembers Sheng Thao and Loren Taylor joined the race earlier this fall. Both are taking huge risks with their political careers since their council seats in Districts 4 and 6, are up for re-election in 2022.
While Reid has largely succeeded in differentiating herself from the long shadow of her father, who spent over two decades on the Oakland City Council, her inexperience could be negative. In a bit of oppo research that was around during her successful council race last year, but not utilized, Reid’s conservative religious beliefs could be a problem in largely secular Oakland. In addition, the biography on Reid’s campaign website conveniently neglects her employment with PG&E. Probably not a gamechanger, but not a positive in an expected hard-fought campaign to have be associated with perhaps the most hated business in the state.
—IDLF ALSO FILED—Tough-talking former Oakland Councilmember Ignacio De La Fuente also filed an intent to run for mayor on Dec. 14. On an episode of the East Bay Insiders podcast, De La Fuente said he was strongly considering a run for the seat that has alluded him in the past. Unless tamed by his handlers, expect De La Fuente to run on a plain-speaking, brawny message. Here’s a hint of what to expect:
“Why not give it one last shot?” De La Fuente said on the podcast last July. “I have nothing to lose, nothing to gain so I will have the freedom to fucking blow this shit up and rebuild."
—Listen to the double episode featuring De La Fuente on the East Bay Insiders here and here.
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—WHY ISN’T KAPLAN RUNNING?—For awhile Oakland Councilmeber Rebecca Kaplan was running every two years for something. Then when most people assumed she would run for mayor in 2018, she abruptly changed course. Many just assumed with Schaaf termed out in 2022, Kaplan would resume her mayoral aspirations. But Kaplan has given no indication she wants the job and even endorsed Thao, her former council aide, for mayor. Insiders continue to wonder whether Kaplan’s next foray for higher office is located across town at the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. Although the consensus talking point is an Asian woman should replace the late Wilma Chan, Kaplan could be a strong candidate with a long list of accomplishments—real or imagined. Like Dave Brown, the current District 3 placeholder supervisor until next fall, Kaplan is believed to have an apartment in Jack London Square. By the way, Oakland District 4 Councilmember Nikki Fortunato Bas, also up for re-election next year, is still eyeing Chan’s supervisorial seat, but has relented in recent weeks, saying she is focusing on re-election. However, she not entirely ruling out a run for the Board of Supervisors next June, insiders say.
—Check out the entire East Bay Candidate List here.
—BONTAFUL HAUL— Attorney General Rob Bonta’s campaign is featuring one of his opponent’s and her nearly $1 million haul in a fundraising email to his supporters. Referencing Sacramento District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert’s several months old tally from the first half of this year, the campaign makes sure to mention she is a Republican, while touting his own efforts. Money will not be a problem for Bonta. As an assemblymember, Bonta was one of the Democratic Party’s biggest fundraisers. His account larded with unions and special interests, Bonta raised $1.6 million since becoming the attorney general. He also had $2.2 million in his assembly account that can be transferred to his 2022 attorney general campaign. Bonta and his record as progressive on public safety may need every cent if the current perception among voters is that crime is out of control persists into next spring.
PRESS CLIPPINGS
OAKLAND—Businesses in Oakland now have a vaccine mandate after the City Council on Tuesday approved an emergency ordinance introduced by Councilmember Dan Kalb, KPIX reports. The emergency ordinance requires patrons of restaurants, bars, gyms, movie theaters, concerts, libraries, to show proof vaccination for Covid-19. However, the emergency ordinance is effective on Feb. 1, 2022, raising the question of whether the already free-wheeling omicron variant will have already taken over the city and region by then.
UNION CITY—Thirty-six acres of land originally owned by Caltrans was ceded to Union City earlier this year could be one day include up to 535 units of housing and a new roadway, the East Bay Times reports. The land transaction is similar to blocks of land nearby Hayward also acquired from Caltrans and is currently attempted to develop for housing and other uses. Union City’s plans, however, could spark south county NIMBYs into action, again arguing against new housing and a roadway in the uber-congested Tri-Cities area.
ALAMEDA COUNTY COVID-19 DATA (AS OF DEC. 20)
Total vaccination doses given: 3,063,974
Residents with at least one dose: 1,397,637
Fully vaccinated county residents: 1,295,949 (77.13% of county pop.)
New cases in the past 14 days: 2,204
Hospitalized patients: 61 (2.44%)
Intensive Care patients: 14 (3.33%)
Total Covid-19 cases: 126,039
Total deaths: 1,535
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