Record-breaking Newark mayor announces retirement after 42 years in office
Liz Ortega-Toro wins California Democratic Party AD20 endorsement; Oakland Zoo spent $350,000 to get parcel tax on November ballot
ELECTION 2022
NEWARK MAYOR
—END OF AN ERA—Thirteen is a lucky number for Newark Mayor Al Nagy. After serving 13 consecutive terms in office, spread over four decades, Nagy is retiring from political life. Nagy made the announcement at a recent Newark City Council meeting, and it was short and sweet.
—“I truly thank the residents of Newark for giving me the opportunity of being their mayor for last 11 years and to serve them on the city council for the last 42 years,” Nagy said with little fanfare on July 14.
—Nagy’s run in Alameda County politics is believed to be a record for longevity. Newark’s brand of old boy politics has endured. Prior to Nagy, former Newark Mayor Dave Smith served for 33 years. It didn’t take long for Newark’s nascent mayoral race to heat up.
—Newark Councilmember Michael Hannon announced his candidacy for mayor last week. ”We owe him a debt of gratitude for his dedication to our community,” Hannon said of Nagy. “Thus a new chapter for our city begins today as I seek your support, and vote on Nov. 8, to represent you, and our great city moving forward.” Hannon wrote on social media.
20TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT
—WIN FOR L.O.T.—Liz Ortega-Toro’s fall campaign in the 20th Assembly District received the California Democratic Party’s endorsement on Saturday over Dublin Councilmember Shawn Kumagai.
—Ortega-Toro won the top two June primary by eight points over Kumagai, but the party did not offer an endorsement last spring, necessitating Saturday’s endorsement caucus. Five other post-primary endorsement meetings were held across the state on Saturday for Dem-on-Dem races without a candidate holding official party backing.
—Supporters of Jennifer Esteen, the progressive candidate in the June primary who finished a strong third-place, helped put Ortega over the top on Saturday. Ortega received 71 percent of the vote (25 votes). Kumagai received eight votes, while two delegates voted “no endorsement.” Support from 60 percent of voters or more is needed to receive the party’s endorsement.
—Kumagai, who did not turn on his video at the virtual Zoom meeting while he addressed delegates, criticized the scenario in which a small number of delegates were entrusted with deciding the all-important party endorsement.
—The Dem-on-Dem race to replace the retiring Assemblymember Bill Quirk is shaping up to be a bitter, hard-fought fall campaign, sure to include millions in independent expenditure spending on both sides. Last month, Ortega sharply labeled Kumagai beholden to some “some of the greediest corporations on Earth.” She continued the rhetoric on Saturday.
—“The values that I represent are the values of the working families of Assembly District 20,” Ortega-Toro said. “And while we will see a lot of not-so-aligned values as mine in terms of some of the corporate interests that are going to be attacking our campaign, our community knows better, our community is informed, and our community is educated and ready to win in November.”
CAMPAIGN FINANCE
—ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM—The Oakland Zoo’s effort to get a parcel tax on the November ballot in Oakland spent nearly $350,000, according to a campaign finance report filed last Thursday.
—The proposed ballot measure will ask Oakland voters to approve a $68 a year parcel tax for 20 years to help fund the Oakland Zoo’s operations. The parcel tax is estimated to raise $12 million annually. The Oakland City Council is scheduled to approve placing the parcel tax on the November ballot on Tuesday. In total, Oakland voters will be asked to consider nine ballot measures this fall.
—The parcel tax effort was seeded during the most recent filing period, through June 30, with two $100,000 contributions to “Oaklanders for Oakland Zoo 2022, Sponsored by the Conversation Society of California.”
The Conservation Society of California is the Oakland Zoo. Over the past year, the independent expenditure committee has received $400,000 in contributions from the Oakland Zoo.
—PULLING PAPERS—Below is the list of prospective candidates who recently pulled papers. Note: Alameda County’s filing deadline is Friday, Aug. 12.
CHABOT-LAS POSITAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT—Linda Granger (Area 2).
PERALTA COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT—Saleem Shakir-Gilmore (Area 5), Tashon Thomas (Area 7).
BART BOARD OF DIRECTORS—Robert Raburn (District 4), Shyam Chetal (District 6).
EAST BAY MUD—Mark Seedall (Ward 3), Marguerite Young (Ward 3), Matt Turner (District 7).
EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT—Gina Lewis (Ward 3), Dennis Waespi (Ward 3).