Loren Taylor has an early lead over Barbara Lee, the former Democratic U.S. House Representative, in the Oakland mayoral special election which was called following the recall of former Mayor Sheng Thao in November.
Newsweek contacted the Taylor and Lee campaigns for comment via email on Wednesday outside of regular office hours.
Why It Matters
The past few years have seen a pushback against progressive leadership in the San Francisco Bay Area, with a succession of candidates falling to more moderate figures who have emphasized balanced budgets and fighting crime.
In 2022 tech entrepreneur Matt Mahan beat progressive activist Cindy Chavez, known for her work on homelessness and mental health, to become mayor of San Jose and he secured reelection in 2024.
The picture was similar in San Francisco with progressive Mayor London Breed losing to Levi Strauss fortune heir Daniel Lurie in 2024, while Thao was recalled in Oakland amid a crime surge that pushed out some local businesses.
In June, Thao’s home was raided by the FBI as part of a corruption investigation involving her boyfriend Andre Jones, who has since pleaded not guilty to federal bribery charges.
If Taylor is confirmed as the winner in Oakland, it would be further evidence of a pushback against progressive activism in California.
Oakland Mayor Election Results So Far
As of 9:26 p.m. PT on Tuesday, when the last update was made to the official Alameda County election website, Taylor led the race with 23,362 votes against 22,142 for Lee. None of the other eight candidates standing had received more than 800 votes. The count included results from all 108 election precincts.
This result put Taylor on 48.22 percent of the vote against 45.7 percent for Lee. Oakland uses ranked-choice voting for mayoral elections, meaning people can put their preferred candidates in order, rather than simply selecting one. If neither candidate passes 50 percent, officials then look at second choice votes and so on down until the threshold is met.
Split image of former Representative Barbara Lee, left, and her main rival in the Oakland mayoral election, Loren Taylor. Split image of former Representative Barbara Lee, left, and her main rival in the Oakland mayoral election, Loren Taylor. Kent Nishimura/GETTY/X/@lorenmtaylor
According to The Los Angeles Times, due to the ranked choice system it could take several days before the final winner is announced. Speaking on Tuesday evening, Lee said: “We all know this is going to be a long week.”
At the end of March, The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Lee and groups backing her had raised around $694,000 for the contest compared to $488,000 for Taylor and his supporters.
How Barbara Lee and Loren Taylor Compare
Lee has widespread name recognition due to her extended spell as a House Representative for California between 1998 and 2023.
The 78-year-old has amassed support from city unions, including former supporters of Thao during her mayoralty.
Lee’s campaign website states that “working together, we will provide shelter/services/programs to our unhoused residents, invest in public safety and violence prevention programs, and provide more housing, education, and economic development in historically underrepresented communities.”
Taylor, who is also a Democrat, served on the Oakland City Council between 2019 and 2023. In 2022 he ran for the city’s mayoralty, narrowly losing to Thao.
His website claims that “Oakland is broken,” adding: “We can build a city where we’re not stepping over trash or afraid of being the next crime victim. Business-as-usual politics in City Hall has failed us. Residents and businesses have been treated as an afterthought. Oaklanders deserve real solutions, not empty rhetoric.”
Speaking to The San Francisco Chronicle Jim Ross, an Oakland political consultant, said those who campaigned for Thao’s recall last year “feel like Loren Taylor’s their candidate.”
What Happens Next
According to The East Bay Times, Alameda County officials don’t expect to release any more results until Friday, meaning there will be a significant wait before the final tally is announced.
The winner’s term only runs until November 2026, meaning the two Democrats could soon face each other in another electoral battle.
