Oakland's Eleven for mayor; Price gives $20k loan to her DA campaign; Filing Deadline Update
Failing grade for candidates: Nobody wants to run for community college district boards this fall
ELECTION 2022
OAKLAND MAYOR
—OAKLAND’S ELEVEN—And we’re down to 11. Oakland’s mayoral race had attracted 21 wild-eyed residents with visions of taming the city’s most vexing problems. As the filing deadline came and went at the end of business last Friday, the list is down to a manageable 11 who have either qualified for the November mayoral elections or have pending applications.
—The number of mayoral candidates is still unwieldy, especially in a field where only three candidates, and possibly a fourth, are viable candidates to succeed termed out Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf.
—Perhaps, acknowledging that nearly a dozen candidates greatly diminishes the utility of candidate forums to voters, the Jack London Improvement District and Visit Oakland is holding a discussion tonight with the Big 3 candidates—Councilmembers Sheng Thao, Loren Taylor, and Treva Reid. The event at the Regal Jack London Cinema begins at 5 p.m. and is moderated by Taj Tashombe.
—PARTY CRASHER—Being outside of the list of presumptive frontrunners for Oakland mayor is not stopping candidate Seneca Scott from creating attention for his campaign. Over the weekend, Scott dropped by opponent Sheng Thao’s rally for her campaign volunteers. Scott arrived late after most of the volunteers had departed. Nevertheless, Scott shot video in which he mocked Thao’s campaign. “Where’s the people?!” Scott said as his cellphone panned the park.
—The stunt appeared to rankle Thao’s campaign consultant Julie Caskey, who is seen angrily approaching Scott. In a tweet, Scott needled Thao’s campaign, which is strongly supported by labor, telling the rank and file, “Great seeing my old union friends! I’m sorry you were forced to support a candidate you don’t believe in.”
—The early dynamics of the Oakland mayoral race is similar to years past. There’s a small group of frontrunners, followed by a large number of unknown candidates destined to chalk up roughly one percent of the vote apiece. But over the past decade or more, there hasn’t been a candidate like Scott who is willing to be an absolute pest to his opponents. Scott is the Draymond Green of this race.
ALAMEDA COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY
—PRICE CHECK—Alameda County DA candidate Pamela Price fortified her fall campaign with a $20,000 personal loan, according to a campaign finance report filed today. The early infusion of her own cash could be a sign that fundraising isn’t going so well. Price posted a dominate 15-point first-place performance in the June primary that should be energizing donors to fork over more cash. After all, everybody wants to back a winner. (Check out the most recent large donations from across the East Bay in Moneyball below.)
—PAYING THE PRICE—Price never fails to mention that she’s a “drum major for justice.” Over the weekend, the progressive Price beat Rep. Eric Swalwell, and others, like a drum.
—In a tweet, Price noted Alameda County Sheriff-Elect Yesenia Sanchez’s upset of long-time incumbent Greg Ahern came after she had to “overcome his support by ‘Dems’ Eric Swalwell and [Alameda County Supervisor] Nate Miley and [Alameda County DA] Nancy O’Malley. Our values & party platform mean nothing to them!”
—It’s not surprising that Price has issues with Swalwell after he backed Alameda County DA candidate Terry Wiley in the primary. In addition, there’s no way that Ahern or O’Malley would ever support Price’s campaign.
DEADLINE DAY
—COMMUNITY COLLEGE DROPOUTS—The level of local government hit hardest by the pandemic was clearly school boards. Frustrated parents took out their anger on school board members all over the East Bay over the past few years. “Who wants to run for school board in this climate?” was a common refrain during this election cycle. But, for the most part, the number of school board candidates making the commitment to run this fall appears similar to other recent election cycles.
—The same cannot be said for two East Bay community college boards. This fall, the Chabot-Las Positas Community College District Board of Trustees and Ohlone Community College District Board of Trustees will not appear on ballots in Central, South, and East Counties.
—All four current members of the Chabot-Las Positas board will be re-elected because they are unopposed, according to the Alameda County Registrar of Voters. The same can be said for three incumbents on the Ohlone board.
—Perhaps the inability to attract candidates to these community college boards is fueled by disinterest or an assumption the current collection of trustees is doing a sufficient job?
—However, when it comes to Chabot-Las Positas board, which includes San Leandro and San Lorenzo, the problem could be apathy. All three incumbent San Leandro school boardmembers will run unopposed and two incumbents on the San Lorenzo school board will not face a challenger for two open at-large seats.
—Over at the nearby Peralta Community College District Board of Directors the desire for change is much greater in the Oakland/Alameda/Berkeley areas its represents. At least three candidates in three open seats will be on the November ballot.
EAST BAY MUD
—HY’DRO CANDIDATE—As I’ve noted over the past few days, former San Leandro councilmembers are really good at finding second acts at down ballot elected offices. Even the venerable former state Sen. Ellen Corbett found a cozy home on the East Bay Regional Park District Board of Directors.
—Now, you can add termed out San Leandro Councilmember Corina Lopez to the list. Lopez said over the weekend that she intends to pull papers for the open East Bay Municipal Utilities District seat in District 7.
—Lopez seriously contemplated running for San Leandro mayor this year before undergoing knee-replacement surgery this summer. But the bug for public service took her over recently. In addition, the field of potential candidates hoping to replace retiring East Bay MUD Director Frank Mellon, according to insiders, left labor underwhelmed.
DEADLINE DAY
—PULLING PAPERS—The extended filing deadline for races in which the incumbent is not running for re-election is Wednesday, Aug. 17. Below is the list of candidates who recently pulled papers last Friday and Monday afternoon.
SAN LEANDRO MAYOR—Chris Bammer.
HAYWARD CITY COUNCIL—Amal Issa, Sherman Lewis.
UNION CITY COUNCIL—Chuck Kennedy (District 2), Kristy Boer (District 3).
NEW HAVEN SCHOOL BOARD—Lisa Torres, Kat Jones.
EDEN HEALTH DISTICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS—Chike Udemezue (Area 5).
—MONEYBALL—Large Form 497 contributions filed recently. *-denotes local city maximum campaign contribution.
—Pamela Price (Alameda County District Attorney), Pamela Price (loan), $20,000. Terry Wiley (Alameda County District Attorney), Sheetmetal Workers Local Union 104 PAC, $5,000; Robert Swisher, $2,500; Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, LLP of Burlingame, $1,000.
—George Syrop (Hayward City Council), Sheetmetal Workers Local Union 104 PAC, $1,620*. Stewart Chen (AC Transit-Ward 3), Stewart Chen, $20,000.
—Shawn Kumagai (20th Assembly District), Tim Grayson for Assembly 2022, $2,500. Buffy Wicks (14th Assembly District), Calif. Real Estate PAC, $9,700; Professional Engineers in Calif. Government, $1,000. Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (16th Assembly District), Calif. Independent Telephone PAC, $1,000.