City Government

New Poll of Voters Shows Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan Leading in Mayor’s Race

Mayor Libby Schaaf rated unfavorably by 54% of voters, while only 37% were favorable

Published

4 years ago

October 29, 2021

Isabelle Price

Stock image of a yellow polling places sign

A new professionally conducted poll of local voters indicates that more than a year before the November 2022 election, Oakland residents are deeply unhappy with the direction their city is going. Many voters are already backing City Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan, who significantly leads in a field of 10 potential mayoral candidates, the only one with double-digit first-place votes.

Kaplan received 14% of first place votes and adding in those who gave her their second-choice votes, 20% of the voters want Kaplan as mayor, according to the poll conducted on October 16-18.

Councilmember Loren Taylor came in second in the poll with 9% of first-choice votes and 2% of second-choice votes – for a total of 11% of the vote.

Former City Councilmember Ignacio De La Fuente came in third with 7% of first- and second-place votes, while Councilmember Sheng Thao came in fourth, with a total of 6% of first- and second-place votes.

None of the other candidates reached more than 4% of total first- and second-choice votes, including Councilmember Treva Reid, Port Commissioner Ces Butner, small business owner Derreck Johnson, youth development consultant Greg Hodge, community advocate Ken Houston and Oakland developer Phil Tagami.

“This is a base line poll, and most voters are undecided, (but) they have strong thoughts about homelessness, crime, housing affordability and what to do about crime. They also had strong thoughts about the mayor,” said Gregory McConnell, president and CEO of the Jobs and Housing Coalition, which commissioned the poll and released the results to the media.

The poll was conducted by David Binder Research, with a sample size of 400, with a +/- 4.9% margin of error.

While most voters (62%) are undecided about who they will vote for so far from Election Day, they do have strong feelings about the major issues facing the city and have negative opinions about the leadership of outgoing Mayor Schaaf, who is in her second term and cannot run again.

Of all the issues facing the city and its residents, three stood out by far: Homelessness/panhandling with 49%; Crime/Public Safety with 47% and Affordable Housing/Cost of Rents with 23% voters. Illegal/dumping/Trash in streets came in fourth with 9%.

Nineteen other issues, including jobs, police brutality, gentrification, and government corruption, were chosen as a “major issue” by single digit percentages of voters.

Voters were unenthusiastic about the Schaaf’s job performance. Giving her a favorable rating were 37% of voters, while 54% gave her an unfavorable rating. Further, in a direct question – “Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the job Libby Schaaf is doing as mayor?” – nearly 60% of voters disapproved or strongly disapproved of her performance.

The unfavorable rating for the Oakland City Council is also high.

Asked if they would vote to re-elect Schaaf if she could legally run again, only 25% said they would reelect her, while 58% said they would “replace” her.

Further, in a question about whether voters would be more likely to vote for or against a candidate endorsed by Schaaf, 26% they would be more likely to vote for a candidate endorsed by her and 35% would be “less likely” or “much less likely” to support that candidate.

By comparison, Kaplan’s favorability rating was 41% favorable and 35% unfavorable.

Another question posed a list of priorities that the next mayor might embrace, and voters were asked to indicate whether championing these issues would make the voters more likely or less likely to vote for that candidate.

Reducing homelessness received the highest rating with 93% saying more likely, while 82% said they would more likely support a candidate who makes housing more affordable, and 59% they want a mayor who protects industrial jobs.

The demographics of the people polled were: 11% Latino, 35% white, 34% Black and 11% Asian. Ages were; 24% under 35; 20% ranging from 35-44; 16% ranging from 45-54; 16% in the 55-64 range; and 25% over 65.

The Oakland Post’s coverage of local news in Alameda County is supported by the Ethnic Media Sustainability Initiative, a program created by California Black Media and Ethnic Media Services to support community newspapers across California.

Isabelle Price

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Oakland Post: Week of December 24 – 30, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – December 24 – 30, 2025

Published

15 hours ago

December 25, 2025

Oakland Post

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Oakland Council Expands Citywide Security Cameras Despite Major Opposition

In a 7-1 vote in favor of the contract, with only District 3 Councilmember Carroll Fife voting no, the Council agreed to maintain its existing network of 291 cameras and add 40 new “pan-tilt-zoom cameras.”

Published

5 days ago

December 21, 2025

Oakland Post

At the International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference, Flock Safety introduces new public safety technology – Amplified Intelligence, a suite of AI-powered tools designed to improve law enforcement investigations. Courtesy photo.

By Post Staff

The Oakland City Council this week approved a $2.25 million contract with Flock Safety for a mass surveillance network of hundreds of security cameras to track vehicles in the city.

In recent weeks hundreds of local residents have spoken against the camera system, raising concerns that data will be shared with immigration authorities and other federal agencies at a time when mass surveillance is growing across the country with little regard for individual rights.

The Flock network, supported by the Oakland Police Department, has the backing of residents and councilmembers who see it as an important tool to protect public safety.

“This system makes the Department more efficient as it allows for information related to disruptive/violent criminal activities to be captured … and allows for precise and focused enforcement,” OPD wrote in its proposal to City Council.

According to OPD, police made 232 arrests using data from Flock cameras between July 2024 and November of this year.

Based on the data, police say they recovered 68 guns, and utilizing the countywide system, they have found 1,100 stolen vehicles.

However, Flock’s cameras cast a wide net. The company’s cameras in Oakland last month captured license plate numbers and other information from about 1.4 million vehicles.

Speaking at Tuesday’s Council meeting, Fife was critical of her colleagues for signing a contract with a company that has been in the national spotlight for sharing data with federal agencies.

Flock’s cameras – which are automated license plate readers – have been used in tracking people who have had abortions, monitoring protesters, and aiding in deportation roundups.

“I don’t know how we get up and have several press conferences talking about how we are supportive of a sanctuary city status but then use a vendor that has been shown to have a direct relationship with (the U.S.) Border Control,” she said. “It doesn’t make sense to me.”

Several councilmembers who voted in favor of the contract said they supported the deal as long as some safeguards were written into the Council’s resolution.

“We’re not aiming for perfection,” said District 1 Councilmember Zac Unger. “This is not Orwellian facial recognition technology — that’s prohibited in Oakland. The road forward here is to add as many amendments as we can.”

Amendments passed by the Council prohibit OPD from sharing camera data with any other agencies for the purpose of “criminalizing reproductive or gender affirming healthcare” or for federal immigration enforcement. California state law also prohibits the sharing of license plate reader data with the federal government, and because Oakland’s sanctuary city status, OPD is not allowed to cooperate with immigration authorities.

A former member of Oakland’s Privacy Advisory Commission has sued OPD, alleging that it has violated its own rules around data sharing.

So far, OPD has shared Flock data with 50 other law enforcement agencies.

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Black Arts Movement Business District Named New Cultural District in California

Located in the heart of District 3, the BAMBD is widely regarded as one of the nation’s most important centers of Black cultural production — a space where artists, entrepreneurs, organizers, and cultural workers have shaped generations of local and national identity. The state’s recognition affirms the district’s historic importance and its future promise.

Published

5 days ago

December 20, 2025

Oakland Post

Councilmember Carroll Fife celebrates major milestone for Black arts, culture, and economic power in Oakland. Courtesy photo.

By Post Staff

Oakland’s Black Arts Movement Business District (BAMBD) has been selected as one of California’s 10 new state-designated Cultural Districts, a distinction awarded by the California Arts Council (CAC), according to a media statement released by Councilmember Carroll Fife.

The BAMBD now joins 23 other districts across the state recognized for their deep cultural legacy, artistic excellence, and contributions to California’s creative economy.

“This designation is a testament to what Black Oakland has built — and what we continue to build when we insist on investing in our own cultural and economic power,” said Fife.

“For years, our community has fought for meaningful recognition and resources for the Black Arts Movement Business District,” she said. “This announcement validates that work and ensures that BAMBD receives the support it needs to grow, thrive, and continue shaping the cultural fabric of California.”

Since taking office, Fife has led and supported multiple initiatives that strengthened the groundwork for this achievement, including:

Restoring and protecting arts and cultural staffing within the City of Oakland.
Creating the West Oakland Community Fund to reinvest in historically excluded communities
Advancing a Black New Deal study to expand economic opportunity for Black Oakland
Ensuring racial equity impact analyses for development proposals, improving access for Black businesses and Black contractors
Introduced legislation and budget amendments that formalized, protected, and expanded the BAMBD

“These efforts weren’t abstract,” Fife said. “They were intentional, coordinated, and rooted in a belief that Black arts and Black businesses deserve deep, sustained public investment.”

As part of the Cultural District designation, BAMBD will receive:

$10,000 over two years
Dedicated technical assistance
Statewide marketing and branding support
Official designation from Jan. 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2030

This support will elevate the visibility of BAMBD’s artists, cultural organizations, small businesses, and legacy institutions, while helping attract new investment to the district.

“The BAMBD has always been more than a district,” Fife continued. “This recognition by the State of California gives us another tool in the fight to preserve Black culture, build Black economic power, and protect the families and institutions that make Oakland strong.”

For questions, contact Councilmember Carroll Fife at CFife@oaklandca.gov.