Lee announces candidacy for Oakland mayor
Former Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) announced Wednesday that she is running to be the next mayor of Oakland this year.
Lee said in a video posted on her X account that she wants to bring the city together to face its challenges, pointing to homelessness, crime, policing and the cost of living. Her announcement did not come as a surprise after she previously said she was considering a run and would make a decision this month.
“They’ve said we are a city divided, but let’s show them we are one Oakland. That’s in our DNA,” Lee said.
Lee will be competing in a nonpartisan special election in April to serve the remainder of the term of former Mayor Sheng Thao (D), who was ousted from her position in a recall vote in November. Thao’s defeat came after several controversies surrounded her, including rising crime, poor relations with the police union and a missed deadline for a grant that would have given the city millions of dollars to address retail theft.
She also faced a personal controversy in the aftermath of an FBI raid of her home in June. The agency hasn’t accused her of wrongdoing nor said why they conducted the search, and Thao has denied any wrongdoing as well.
The vote marked the first time that Oakland ever recalled a mayor.
Lee said in her announcement that she regularly hears that Oakland is a “mess” and that the problems it faces are too large to solve. But she said the city coming together can lead to improving housing, public safety, strong wages, small business support and renewed trust.
Lee noted her experience as a small business owner, state legislator and member of Congress fighting for “Oakland values.”
“Leadership, integrity, results for all of Oakland,” she concluded.
The race already features several candidates, including former Oakland City Council member Loren Taylor, who came in second place to Thao in the 2022 election.
But Lee is the most prominent candidate to enter the race and already touts endorsements from numerous former mayors, including Kevin Jenkins, Elihu Harris and Jean Quan, according to her website. Former California Gov. Jerry Brown (D), who also previously served as mayor, has endorsed Lee as well.
Lee served in the House for more than 25 years before deciding not to run for reelection last year to instead seek the Senate seat vacated by the death of late Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.). She came in fourth place in the jungle primary and was eliminated.
Now-Sen. Adam Schiff (D) won the general election in November over Republican Steve Garvey to take the seat.