Non-Binding Coliseum Term Sheet Approved, Environmental Liability Exposes Cracks Among Supervisors
Jilted CA reps want to punish Wahab for scuttling placeholder strategy for CA14 special primary; SD10 primary is red-hot as IEs spend $700k in past two days; Is Loren Taylor running for mayor?
☕️MORNING BUZZ
Vol. VI, No. 1,278
—Alameda County supervisors approved a non-binding term sheet Thursday with the Oakland Acquisition Company (OAC), advancing an increasingly complex effort to sell the county’s half-interest in the Coliseum property.
If completed, the deal would move the long-stalled goal of placing the entire Coliseum site under a single ownership group significantly closer to reality.
But that outcome remains uncertain after divisions emerged among supervisors over key provisions of the proposed agreement.
Negotiations were nearly thrown off course by a last-minute amendment submitted by OAC and a prospective buyer of the Oakland Arena, identified as Oak View Group, the entertainment company led by music industry executive Irving Azoff.
The revised term sheet arrived in county counsel’s inbox at 10:11 a.m., just 11 minutes after Thursday’s special meeting began.
—The amendment sought a carve-out that would shield the arena parcel—an approximately eight-acre site—from environmental cleanup liabilities.
The request drew an immediate rebuke from Supervisor Elisa Márquez, who had previously signaled concerns about environmental provisions in the agreement.
“I’m offended that we want to be shortsighted on public health and safety,” Márquez said, arguing that developers stand to make “billions” from future redevelopment of the site.
“You’re not even going to give us a penny for it?” she added. “It’s unconscionable.”
Supervisor David Haubert expressed concern that rejecting the proposed language could jeopardize the deal altogether.
Ray Bobbitt, the longtime public representative of OAC and the African American Sports and Entertainment Group (AASEG), echoed that concern, telling supervisors that excluding the carve-out would “tremendously impact the deal.”
As the public exchange intensified, Márquez criticized Haubert’s query, saying, “You’re showing all of our cards by this process and making it worse.”
Supervisor Nate Miley, though, called the bluff. “I don’t think OAC is going to walk away from this if we approve the term sheet,” he said.
County counsel ultimately advised supervisors that approving the existing non-binding term sheet would not prevent further negotiations over the environmental liability issue. That assurance helped secure unanimous approval of the agreement.
The latest dispute adds another layer of uncertainty to negotiations already operating under a tight timeline, with all parties aiming to finalize a deal by June 30.
—KNOWN UNKNOWNS—Despite supervisors’ willingness to move forward with the non-binding Coliseum term sheet, county counsel disclosed Thursday that several key due diligence steps have not yet been completed.
Alameda County has not conducted its own assessment of potential environmental liabilities at the Coliseum site. Instead, Coliseum Way Partners, the A’s development entity, was granted access to the property and performed preliminary soil testing. Interim County Counsel Andrea Weddle said the A’s “put us on notice” that environmental issues may exist on the site.
County officials have not consulted with the City of Oakland regarding the non-binding term sheet or verified estimates provided by Oakland Acquisition Company that all permits needed for a future redevelopment of the Coliseum property could be secured within four years. A payment schedule to the county would begin after all approvals are secured.
The prospective buyer of the Oakland Arena has not participated in negotiations over the term sheet involving Alameda County, Oakland Acquisition Company, and Coliseum Way Partners, despite seeking changes to the agreement at the last minute.
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IT’S WHAT THE INSIDERS READ.
⊕MORE INSIDE
CITY NEWS: San Leandro email mystery rekindles another look at similarly strange emails sent to Alameda County Dems earlier this year.
ELECTION 2026: SD10 spending war erupts as labor and tech-backed IEs flood race in final days.
SD10/CA14: Opponents raises concerns about Sakakihara, Israni at Union City Council meeting.
CA14: Strategy by California Dem reps to punish Wahab to not pulling out of special primary becomes evident.
Loren Taylor’s Measure E opposition fuels new Oakland mayoral speculation.
East Bay assemblymember endorses California’s Billionaire Tax Act measure.
CAMPAIGN FINANCE: Form 497 large campaign contributions, and Form 6 federal 48-hour notices of contributions filed on May 28:
CITY NEWS
SAN LEANDRO
—ANOTHER EMAIL MYSTERY—The anonymous emails aimed at disparaging San Leandro Councilmember Xouhoa Bowen after she was assaulted at a conference in Tampa in 2024, have also rekindled questions about another strange message that circulated earlier this year inside the Alameda County Democratic Party.
—In the days leading up to the party’s endorsement vote in the race for the open 14th Congressional District seat vacated by Eric Swalwell, delegates received a cryptic email.
—The message hinted that the author may have been a disgruntled employee of state Sen. Aisha Wahab, one of the leading candidates in the CA14 race and the eventual winner of the party endorsement.
—The anonymous writer, purportedly a female with a Middle Eastern name, urged delegates to back a progressive candidate and referenced several other candidates in the crowded primary field, including Victor Aguilar Jr..
—At the time, the email puzzled many recipients because of its vague accusations and unclear motives.
—But in hindsight, some local political observers now see parallels between the mysterious CA14 message and the anonymous emails sent before Bowen’s assault in Tampa by a Central Valley elected official.
—In the months since the endorsement fight, Aguilar has all but disappeared from the congressional campaign trail, despite remaining on the June 2 primary ballot.
ELECTION 2026
🗓️4 days to June Primary
10TH STATE SENATE DISTRICT
—NOW OR NEVER—The already red-hot race for the 10th State Senate District has shifted into overdrive as outside groups supporting Democrats Scott Sakakihara and Anne Kepner unleash a barrage of spending just days before Election Day.
—Sakakihara and Kepner alongside Democrat David Cohen, remain locked in a highly competitive battle for two spots in the November General Election. Complicating the race is Republican Linda Price, the lone GOP candidate in the field, who could benefit from the Democratic vote being split among multiple contenders.
—In recent days, an independent expenditure committee backed by nurses has gone on the offensive against both Sakakihara and Cohen, attempting to tie the two candidates to support for ICE.
—Campaign finance reports show the committee spent nearly $200,000 on Wednesday alone targeting Sakakihara and Cohen.
—The attacks were quickly met with a response. An independent expenditure committee backed by Meta has poured roughly $500,000 into the race over the past two days in support of Sakakihara. Finance reports indicate the spending is funding at least six mail pieces aimed at boosting the Union City councilmember’s campaign.
—ICE-Y RECEPTION—Awareness of SD10 candidate Scott Sakakihara’s past employment with Palantir Technologies appears to be growing as the primary election enters its final days.
—During public comment at Tuesday night’s Union City Council meeting, a resident criticized Sakakihara over his previous work for the data analytics company, which has faced scrutiny from immigration advocates because of its past contracts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
—The speaker argued Sakakihara’s role at Palantir was not as innocuous as he has portrayed and questioned the wealth he accumulated through company stock options.
—The comments are the latest sign that Sakakihara’s Palantir background is emerging as a campaign issue as voters begin casting their final ballots in the closely watched SD10 primary.
🗳️Early Ballots Returned
CA14: 45,483 of 422,026 (11%)
SD10: 60,100 of 530,876 (11%)
Alameda County: 97,892 of 970,060 (10%)
Statewide: 2,819,025 of 23,133,028 (12%)
Source: PDI.
14TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
—RAKHI RECEPTION—Apparently, it was Politics Night at the Union City Council lectern on Tuesday night. The race for the 14th Congressional District also made an appearance.
—During public comment, Pieter Friedrich, an author and activist known for his work on Hindu nationalism in the United States, urged residents not to support CA14 candidate Rakhi Israni.
—Friedrich characterized Israni as being aligned with right-wing Hindu nationalist organizations, a claim he has repeatedly raised since she entered the congressional race earlier this year.
—His appearance in Union City followed public commentary at the Livermore City Council and Hayward City Council, where he has similarly criticized Israni and her political affiliations.
—PIQUE POLITICS—In a sign of growing frustration within House Democratic leadership, California Rep. Pete Aguilar has quietly moved to support CA14 candidate Melissa Hernandez over the state party’s endorsed candidate, Aisha Wahab.
—Aguilar contributed $7,000 to Hernandez’s campaign on Thursday, according to campaign finance records.
—The contribution comes weeks after Aguilar and Rep. Zoe Lofgren pushed Wahab to clear the field in the June 16 special election to replace former Rep. Eric Swalwell.
—Their preferred candidate was former state Sen. Bob Wieckowski, who was viewed by some House Democrats as a placeholder who could serve out the remainder of Swalwell’s term through December. The strategy was designed to help Wieckowski secure a majority in the special primary and avoid an Aug. 18 runoff.
—House Democrats were concerned that leaving the seat vacant for an extended period could prove problematic during a closely divided Congress and potentially jeopardize key votes later this year.
—Wahab declined to step aside, and the effort to consolidate the field quickly unraveled.
—Aguilar’s support for Hernandez comes as a collection of moderate-leaning Super PACs have poured at least $1.5 million into the race on her behalf in recent weeks.
—While there is little evidence of coordination, the spending has fueled speculation about the involvement of California’s congressional Democratic caucus seeking to exact revenge on Wahab for her perceived insubordination.
—The broader effort to clear the field was marked by a series of missteps. Among them were reported discussions of recruiting prominent former East Bay elected officials, including Ellen Corbett and Delaine Eastin, both of whom died in 2024.
—Lofgren also has indirect ties to the growing overlap between Hernandez’s campaign and former members of Swalwell’s political operation. Her chief of staff, Ricky Le, previously served as Swalwell’s first chief of staff.
—As outside spending accelerates and divisions within Democratic circles become more visible, the CA14 special election has evolved into a proxy battle over the future direction of the district and the influence of the party’s congressional establishment.
🆕CLICK HERE FOR NOVEMBER CANDIDATE LIST
🗓️157 days to November Election
OAKLAND MAYOR
—WILL HE, WON’T HE?—“Is Loren Taylor going to run for mayor again?” has become one of the most persistent questions in Oakland politics.
—Taylor has not said publicly whether he plans another campaign, but his appearance in a widely circulated video opposing Oakland’s Measure E parcel tax is drawing renewed attention.
—Mayor Barbara Lee, who is seeking a full four-year term this November, appears to have taken notice of Taylor’s recent rhetoric against the $192 annual parcel tax measure.
—Since the video appeared, several news outlet pointed out that Lee is running again this fall, despite the fact she opened a 2026 mayoral campaign account last year and has already accepted some contributions.
—Taylor narrowly lost Oakland mayoral races in both 2022 and 2025 (losing to Sheng Thao and Lee). A third run would carry political risks, although chronic dissatisfaction in Oakland could create an opening.
—Among some insiders, there is also quiet speculation about succession politics surrounding the 80-year-old mayor and whether she would serve out an entire term through 2030.
—Potential future contenders such as Councilmember Zac Unger, the former firefighters union president, are increasingly being discussed as possible counterweights to a more business-friendly candidate like Taylor.
BILLIONAIRE TAX
—EAT THE RICH—Assemblymember Alex Lee, who represents Fremont and parts of Silicon Valley, endorsed the proposed statewide Billionaire Tax measure expected to appear on the November ballot.
—“While emergency rooms close, clinics disappear, and working families grapple with rising healthcare costs, we cannot keep pretending there’s no money,” Lee said in a statement Wednesday.
—“There is money, and it’s time billionaires paid their fair share to keep the hospitals and emergency rooms that we all rely on open.”
—The proposed Billionaire Tax Act would impose a one-time 5 percent wealth tax on California’s roughly 200 billionaires.
—The measure, backed by SEIU United Healthcare Workers West, submitted 1.5 million signatures last month in an effort to qualify for the ballot.
CAMPAIGN FINANCE
—💰MONEYBALL—Form 497 large campaign contributions, and Form 6 federal 48-hour notices of contributions filed on May 28:
ALAMEDA COUNTY
DISTRICT ATTORNEY
—Friends of Ursula Jones Dickson for District Attorney 2026, Phil Arnautou of San Francisco, $5,000; Matthew Paige of San Francisco, $5,000; Heidi Castelein of San Francisco, $2,500; Summer Walker of San Francisco, $2,500; Phillip Raiser of San Mateo, $2,500; Sharmin Bock of San Francisco, $2,500; Helen Raiser of San Francisco, $2,000; Nancy O’Malley of Alameda, $1,500;
Pasha Thornton of San Francisco, $1,500; Sobia Shaikh of San Francisco, $1,500; Kathleen Janus of San Francisco, $1,000; Owsley Brown of San Francisco, $1,000; Lindsay Bolton of San Francisco, $1,000; Louis Goodman of Oakland, $1,000; Jayme Campbell of Danville, $1,000. TOTAL: $31,500.
SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE - OFFICE #19
—Committee to Elect Selia Warren for Alameda County Judge 2026; , Empower Oakland Committee, $3,875. TOTAL: $3,875.
OAKLAND - MEASURE E PARCEL TAX
—Neighbors For An Affordable Oakland, Sponsored by Realtors - No on Measure E, California Association of Realtors Issues Mobilization PAC, $43,000. TOTAL: $43,000.
STATE LEGISLATURE
STATE SENATE - 10TH DISTRICT
—Anne Kepner for State Senate 2026, Union of American Physicians and Dentists Small Contributor Committee, $2,000; California Professional Firefighters PAC, $1,800; Santa Clara County Firefighters Local 1165 PAC, $1,000. TOTAL: $4,800.
—Scott Sakakihara for Senate 2026, Jesse Arreguin for Senate 2028, $5,900; Construction & General Laborers Local Union 304 PAC, $5,900. TOTAL: $11,800.
STATE ASSEMBLY - 18TH DISTRICT
—Mia Bonta for Assembly 2026, California State Pipe Trades Council PAC, $10,000; California State Association of Electrical Workers Small Contributor Committee, $10,000; Union of American Physicians and Dentists Small Contributor Committee, $2,500. TOTAL: $22,500.
STATE ASSEMBLY - 20TH DISTRICT
—Liz Ortega-Toro for Assembly 2026, California State Association of Electrical Workers Small Contributor Committee, $11,800; California State Pipe Trades Council PAC, $4,000; California Real Estate PAC, $3,000. TOTAL: $18,800.
STATE ASSEMBLY - 14TH DISTRICT
—Buffy Wicks for Assembly 2026, KPMG LLP, $4,000; Kooth USA LLC, $1,500. TOTAL: $5,500.
STATE ASSEMBLY - 16TH DISTRICT
—Rebecca Bauer-Kahan for Assembly 2026, United Nurses Associations of California / Union of Health Care Professionals PAC, $2,000. TOTAL: $2,000.
CONGRESS
17TH DISTRICT
—Ro Khanna for Congress, Inc., Peter Kellner of Chestnut Hill, Mass., $7,000; Meredith Kellner of Chestnut Hill, Mass., $7,000; Harry Bims of Menlo Park, $5,000; Laura Cahill of Glastonbury, Conn., $1,000. TOTAL: $20,000.
14TH DISTRICT
—Melissa Hernandez for Congress, Pete Aguilar of San Bernardino, Calif., $7,000; Phillip Marshall of Livermore, $2,500; Dana Guerin of Santa Monica, $2,500; Adelso Massella of Oakland, $1,000. TOTAL: $13,000.
12TH DISTRICT
—Lateefah Simon for Congress, James Fenton of Washington, D.C., $3,500. TOTAL: $3,500.
—🧾EXPENDITURES—Form 496 Independent Expenditure Reports filed on May 28:
STATE LEGISLATURE
10TH STATE SENATE DISTRICT
—Scott Sakakihara, Mobilizing Economic Transformation Across (Meta) California. 👍SUPPORT (Mailers—$113,372, Mailer—$55,393., Mailer—$27,242). TOTAL: $196,007.
—Anne Kepner, South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council Committee on Political Education. 👍SUPPORT (Field program—$45,982, Food for precinct walkers—$20, Walk card—$20). TOTAL: $46,022.
