Oakland voters say tight mayoral race came down to experience versus upstart energy

As a months-long and sometimes contentious Oakland mayoral campaign ended Tuesday, voters in the special election chose between two familiar faces: former Rep. Barbara Lee, who spent 26 years in Congress representing Oakland and a broad swath of Alameda County, and Oakland-born Loren Taylor, who spent four years on the City Council, in a race that pushed campaign spending past $1.5 million.

For voters polled Tuesday, the race came down to experience versus fresh energy.

“I went with Loren for the fact that I want to see what new, fresh legs in there would be able to do,” said Eric Rivera, a 55-year-old catering chef who voted Tuesday at the Oakland Public Library. “Barbara is great. She’s been around for a long time, but I just want to see what new blood does.”

The city’s next mayor faces a massive budget deficit and waning faith in the office — a difficult start for a new leader following in the footsteps of recalled Mayor Sheng Thao, who was charged with bribery following a lengthy FBI investigation. Both candidates attempted to link the other to Thao over the course of the campaign.

Several voters on Tuesday cited concerns about persistent homelessness and the high cost of living, while others cited the city’s crime rates and the perceived underfunding of the city’s police department amid the city’s budget crisis.

“We’re at an inflection point, and we need to change the trajectory of the city,” said Kevin Pete, a program manager. “I don’t have anything bad to say about Loren (Taylor), but I think at this time in Oakland’s history, the better choice is Barbara Lee.”

Pete and his husband, Kenneth Boozer, each said they voted for Lee on Tuesday because of her history as a “champion” for the gay community, specifically noting the funding she brought back to Alameda County for HIV and AIDs treatment and services. They contended Lee’s commitment to that issue and her resistance to the Iraq War made her uniquely suited to lead Oakland in 2025 and beyond.

But at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church in north Oakland, corporate executive Jo Giessler, 65, said Taylor’s work at PWC Consulting, a global business consulting company, made him more prepared to tackle a $129 million budget shortfall that threatens city funding for public services and law enforcement.

“He has the combination of integrity, experience and ability to get Oakland out of its challenges,” Geissler said. “If you want a strong administrator, you vote for Loren (Taylor).”

Down at the corner of International Boulevard and 98th Avenue, 62-year-old Akili Stewart, a case manager for the Oakland nonprofit Black Men Speak, was canvassing votes for Lee from drivers stopping at the intersection. Stewart said he had his right to vote restored this past year after he was incarcerated for 20 years. He said a lot has changed in Oakland since he could last vote, noting the city has lost its three major sports franchises and that he felt his former neighborhoods had deteriorated.

“When I got out and saw the homelessness — you just see the cost of living is astronomical,” Stewart said. “The biggest difference between Barbara and Loren is that she has political clout. If she wasn’t running, then I would be voting for Taylor.”

Few voters had words about the recalled mayor, who had been under FBI investigation since last November for alleged collusion with the Oakland-based waste management company California Waste Solutions. In January, the FBI charged her with bribery for allegedly accepting money in exchange for influencing the city’s waste management contracts.