Oakland mayoral incumbent Libby Schaaf won re-election on Tuesday, Nov. 6, becoming only the second mayor in the city’s history to win re-election after Jerry Brown, the former governor of California.
Ten candidates competed for seat. Schaaf took 56 percent of votes followed by Cat Brooks with 23 percent and Pamela Price with 13 percent.
Schaaf thanked voters on Twitter following her victory.
“I am grateful and humbled to serve at this critical moment in our city’s history,” said Schaaf. “TY to everyone who voted + participated and joined the conversation about Oakland’s future.”
In a questionnaire from ABC7 Bay Area, Schaaf emphasized the housing crisis and homelessness issues facing Oakland.
“Long term, Oakland can’t solve its housing crisis alone. We need state and regional policies and affordable housing funding sources to ensure a Bay Area for everyone,” Schaaf said.
Prior to her work as mayor, Schaaf served a term on the Oakland City Council representing District 4. She first assumed office as mayor in 2015 succeeding Jean Quan.
She plans to continue action against the outstanding issues of homelessness and housing in Oakland in this coming term.
Earlier this year, Schaaf joined Bay Area nonprofit organizations to “Keep Oakland Housed” — a program that aimed to provide financial services and legal assistance for those with insecure housing situations.
The program states that it is available to all a household income at or below 50 percent of the area median income. The median household income of Oakland is $68,060.
Joining Schaaf in Oakland’s government will be new councilmembers. For Oakland’s District 2, nonprofit executive Nikki Fortunato Bas won the council seat with 51 percent of the votes, beating out Abel Guillen.
Sheng Thao took the council seat for District 4 with 32 percent of the total votes, and Loren Taylor with 61.5 percent of the votes took the District 6 council seat from incumbent Desley Brooks.
Brooks, 42, is an executive director for the Justice Teams Network, a non-profit organization that aims to respond and prevent state violence. She is also an activist, a founding member of the Anti-Police Terror Project.
Price, 62, is a UC Berkeley Law school graduate originally from Dayton, Ohio working as a civil rights lawyer and was elected to represent District 18 of the Alameda County Democratic Party Central Committee.
