The two candidates drew a clear line in their different approaches to leadership.
The two candidates drew a clear line in their different approaches to leadership.
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OAKLAND — The race to be the city’s next mayor finally heated up Tuesday, with the stage cleared for candidates Barbara Lee and Loren Taylor to make their case to voters, not just about their own merits but also why each of them would be the better choice for Oakland’s top political office.
The first public debate ahead of the April 15 special election limited participation to campaigns that have raised at least $75,000, placing Taylor, a former city council member, and Lee, a retired veteran of Congress, head-to-head for the first time.
The two candidates, who are widely believed to be clear frontrunners in the 10-candidate field, did not find too much room for disagreement over specific city policies. Both called for hiring more police, prioritizing businesses, celebrating the town’s diversity and fighting back against the Trump administration.
But they drew a clear line between their approaches to leadership. Taylor, an engineer and business consultant, touted his willingness to make hard choices in fixing a “broken” Oakland, while Lee promised to unify a city whose political divides appeared to become more pronounced under ex-Mayor Sheng Thao’s administration.
Their diverging visions for Oakland’s future may take shape most prominently in how they would handle a perilous deficit in the city’s budget, which in recent months led to layoffs of city workers and deep spending cuts, following warnings of potential insolvency.
“Every mayor will be able to bring people into the room — that is a given,” Taylor said. “The question is what happens inside of that room? Will you be able to look your friends and allies in the eye and say … ‘We have to make hard, necessary choices today, so we can preserve our tomorrow.’”
Outside labor groups have raised tens of thousands of dollars to support Lee, who said plainly Tuesday that “cutting jobs, of course, would be the last action I would take, because jobs mean services to the city, (which) needs good, quality services for our residents.”
Without much further to disagree about policy-wise, the candidates attempted to best each other in pitching their leadership qualities.
The gloves first came off when moderator Dave Clark, a news anchor for KTVU, asked the candidates to address the specter of ex-Mayor Thao, who was recalled by 60% of voters last November and now faces felony charges of bribery and conspiracy.
“We have to make sure this doesn’t happen again,” Taylor said. “Unfortunately, those who propped up and backed Sheng Thao — they don’t want me to be mayor.” He then went further, accusing Lee of being “recruited by some of those same backers of Sheng Thao to run.”
Taylor’s last comment drew cheers from activists in the crowd who had first organized the recall effort against Thao.
Lee, though, was quick to note that she had support from some pro-recall voices. Two prominent voices in the recall movement, Carl Chan and Derreck Johnson, were among the earliest supporters of Lee’s mayoral run.
Addressing the point about who recruited her, Lee then added, “If we’re talking our labor union brothers and sisters, our activists, the Oakland Chamber of Commerce — I’m not sure who Loren is talking about, because I’ve put together a strong coalition in this city, as an example of how, as mayor, I will govern.”
“I will not take cheap shots at people who support him,” Lee continued. “I’m talking about bringing the city together — not dividing us.”
Later in the debate, Lee did target Taylor with her own blows, comparing him to someone applying to be a “city staffer” instead of a big-picture mayor, and accusing him of being responsible for some of Oakland’s current woes because of his past service on the city council.
Taylor, who served as councilmember from 2018 to 2022, issued a second closing statement to defend his voting record as being cast in dissent to the city’s past budgets.
The 47-year-old also pointedly acknowledged wanting to be mayor for the next “six or ten years,” alluding to the absence of such a commitment from Lee, who is 78. Whoever wins the race will serve until November 2026 what would have been the rest of Thao’s term in office.
Ranked-choice voting may allow the eight other mayoral candidates — including ex-Thao staffer Renia Webb, plus former Olympic skier Elizabeth Swaney, Bay Area Council staffer Suz Robinson, paralegal Tyron Jordan, plus several fringe regulars on election ballots — to shape the outcome of the election, which is just over a month away.
But after Tuesday’s first debate, Lee and Taylor’s campaigns, which have not sought any voting alliances under the format, appeared ready, at last, for a one-on-one showdown.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Shomik Mukherjee is a reporter covering Oakland. Call or text him at 510-905-5495 or email him at shomik@bayareanewsgroup.com.