Schaaf is not happy about one Oakland mayoral candidate. Will she endorse Kaplan for county supervisor? Nope.
State Senate candidate is putting his personal cell phone number on yard signs
—LIBBYBALL—Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf believes the resumes of some of the candidates running for mayor this year is an insult to her. Schaaf made the assessment on the latest episode of the East Bay Insiders podcast. Schaaf also said she has not made an endorsement in the Alameda County Board of Supervisors District 3 race that includes Oakland, but bluntly said it will not be Oakland Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan.
“Oakland has a strong mayor form of government and it is a feisty town. A strong mayor—it is not an entry-level job. It is not a glorified councilmember’s job. It is a CEO. It is a crisis manager. It is someone who has to explain extremely complicated things at all times to the public. You want someone, first of all, to have experience in government,” said Schaaf, who is termed out of office at the end of this year.
—“The fact that people with no experience in local government are running for this office, frankly, insults me,” she added. “But you also wants some people who have some life experience, some wisdom, and are truly in it for The Town. That’s what I have to say about the next mayor of Oakland.”
It’s unclear which mayoral candidates Schaaf was alluding to in the current field of 15 mayoral candidates who have filed a statement of intent to run this fall. The vast majority are unknown candidates with no experience in government, while three sitting Oakland councilmembers—Sheng Thao, Loren Taylor, and Treva Reid—are in the race, along with former Oakland Councilmember Ignacio De La Fuente, who is seriously contemplating his own campaign.
—But a further parsing of the field indicates Schaaf was likely referring to Derreck Johnson, who unsuccessfully ran in 2020 for the Oakland City Council at-large council seat against Rebecca Kaplan. Johnson proved to be a prolific fundraiser, but lacked experience in the political realm. The jab is notable because Schaaf strongly backed Johnson’s run against her city hall rival, Kaplan. A falling out appears to have occurred between Schaaf and Johnson as he aims to replace her at the mayor’s office.
—The strength of Schaaf’s rivalry with Kaplan, however, has not abated. When asked who she will back in the open Alameda County Board of Supervisors race in District 3, Schaaf said, “I have not yet endorsed a supervisor candidate, although it is unlikely to be Rebecca Kaplan.” Schaaf added that she will be meeting with the other three candidates hoping to replace the late Wilma Chan. They include Surlene Grant, Lena Tam, and David Kakishiba.
—EPISODE 45—Listen to the latest episode of the East Bay Insiders podcast HERE. Download and subscribe at Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. The baseball-themed Episode 45 includes my interview with Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf. We chat about Howard Terminal and her legacy. Later, ABC7 Sports anchor and producer Casey Pratt joins the program to discuss the A’s ballpark project’s prospects, along with a little baseball talk.
MORE IN THIS ISSUE: Kaplan and Covid | ‘Dro Biz Mayor News | SD10 Candidate Hands Out His Digits | June Election Preview: Part 3 | News Briefing |
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