Who Will Replace Azevedo?

San Leandro City Council will interview seven contenders to replaced the disgraced District 2 councilmember; Mike Honda still doesn’t like Ro Khanna

☕️MORNING BUZZ

Vol. VI, No. 1,225

—As the San Leandro City Council prepares to appoint a replacement for disgraced District 2 Councilmember Bryan Azevedo this evening, the list of applicants include a mix of familiar names and lesser-known candidates.

—Ranking the candidates:

• Leo Sheridan — Widely viewed by insiders as the leading candidate for the appointment. Sheridan has good relationships with members of the City Council. He also benefits from a close connection to the mayor, whose wife previously served on the school board with him.

• James Aguilar — A potential dark horse. Aguilar may have been a frontrunner had he not abruptly resigned from the school board in August to pursue a new chapter. He is well-liked, has few detractors, and despite his relatively young age, has been active in San Leandro politics for several years.

• Ed Hernández — Arguably the most credentialed candidate in the field. However, his long electoral history—including a narrow loss in the 2024 District 2 race after prior runs in 2016 and 2000—may not necessarily strengthen his case for appointment.

• Emily Chandler — Limited public information is available about her candidacy compared to others in the field, but her main strength could be as the lone political outsider.

• Robert Bulatao — Ran for City Council in District 6 in 2024 and lost. He later pushed the city to adopt district-based elections under the California Voting Rights Act, a move the city ultimately accepted. However, the effort required significant time and expense, which could weigh against him with councilmembers.

• Tiare Peña and Luis Mendoza — Both are relatively unknown politically but were appointed to city commissions last year by former Councilmember Bryan Azevedo. Their appointments came after Azevedo’s home was raided by the FBI, raising questions about political ties.

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—More inside:

• CITY NEWS: Fremont’s sprint to placing a charter city measure on the fall ballot begins.

• CHAVEZ FALLOUT: Reaction from Hayward, Albany, Berkeley, and a contrarian councilmember from Oakland.

• ELECTION 2026: Swalwell had a good day in the courts last Friday.

• One-half of an East Bay power couple is endorsing Swalwell’s guv opponent.

• Mike Honda is still sore about losing to Ro Khanna: The backstory why.

• CAMPAIGN FINANCE: Form 497 large campaign contributions filed on March 20-22.

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