Taylor tops Lee in fundraising

Alameda County supervisors assure potential investors they want stalled Coliseum deal to get done

☕️MORNING BUZZ

—There is definitely something going on within Oakland’s electorate. If true, that’s bad news for Barbara Lee’s campaign for mayor.

In political campaigns, as in life in general, money talks, and the chatter and checks are beginning to go Loren Taylor’s way, according to campaign finance reports filed on Thursday.

Taylor’s campaign topped Lee, the perceived front runner, in contributions received since last November.

Taylor raised $310,874 since opening his campaign account on Nov. 8. Lee raised $293,156 since she entered the race on Jan. 6.

The extra two months certainly helped Taylor, but the likelihood that Lee would eventually enter the race was apparent since Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao was recalled from office in November.

Taylor also hold a sizable advantage in cash on hand over Lee, but only blunts her clear advantage in outside expenditure committees.

Overall, Lee still maintains a financial advantage by way of a labor-backed independent expenditure committee that raised $168,000 in support of her campaign. The IE has $153,000 in cash reserves, as of March 1.

But Taylor’s grassroots support appears to be trending upward, and at just the right time. Vote-by-mail ballots will begin arriving in mailboxes starting on March 17.

Taylor has also benefited from a number of unforced errors by Lee that only underscored his argument that Lee has no experience at Oakland City Hall.

—More inside:

• Board of Supervisors attempt to drum up investor confidence in stalling Coliseum deal

• Rep. Lateefah Simon neglected to include three cities in her district during Trump rebuttal speech.

• Oakland special election campaign finance report capsules; campaign finance data for Thursday.

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