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 to the social platform X 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; 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.



https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5074243-barbara-lee-running-mayor-oakland/