Kaplan announces a run for Alameda County supervisor, but fails to mention Wilma Chan

ELECTION 2022

Few elected official in Alameda County are as accomplished as Oakland Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan, but her past campaigns have sometimes been peculiar.

—KAP IS OFFICIAL—It was no secret to East Bay Insiders’ subscribers that Oakland Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan is running to replace Wilma Chan on the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. We knew that on Jan. 19. But enough for shameless plugs! Kaplan joins a race that currently has two other candidates who have signaled their official intent to run in the June primary. But that may soon change as a number of other candidates are poised to press play on their respective campaigns. Former Alameda Councilmember Lena Tam and former Oakland school boardmember David Kakishiba have signaled intents to run. Alameda Councilmember Malia Vella is also seriously contemplating a run for supervisor, as is former State Senate Majority Leader Ellen Corbett. District 3 includes Alameda, San Leandro, San Lorenzo, and areas around Oakland Chinatown.

—GLARING OMMISSION—Several insiders sent me head-scratching emails and texts yesterday after receiving Kaplan’s press release announcing her run for supervisor. Nowhere in the lengthy press release does it mention Wilma Chan, the late Alameda County supervisor that Kaplan who hopes to replace. It’s a massive unforced error to neglect to mention Chan, who was tragically killed by a motorist last November, and is one of the giants of Alameda County politics. To be fair, Kaplan’s website references to a desire to continue Chan’s work on the Board of Supervisors.

MORE IN THIS ISSUE: Will Kaplan Fall for the Supe Campaign Trap? | More About Kaplan’s Supe Run | Oakland City Council’s pre-EIR Ballpark Reso | Capitol Dispatch: Workplace Vaccine Mandate | Datebook.