City Government
Candidates For Oakland’s District 7 Share Their Platforms

Aaron Clay
Clay is the CEO of renewable energy solar company Sunswarm Community Solar, and a teacher for the Oakland Unified School District. He believes Oakland and District 7 needs to be a more healthy and sustainable community that provides affordable housing for everyone.
“A healthy community is a place where residents can afford to live, be comfortable and be safe in their home,” said Clay. “Instead, we see garbage on the ground, abandoned cars, and their community deteriorating. More attention needs to focus on eradicating the blight in our community.”
“I’ve taught in East Oakland’s public schools and I’ve seen what those kids go through. Let’s get them on board and allow them to create a different vision for the community. I will also be a champion to our youth and seniors,” said Clay.
“We also need jobs in East Oakland,” added Clay. “Establishing an economic-based green economy would be ideal because this area is the perfect place for it. Light industrial, clean tech manufacturing in East Oakland makes sense because we already have the available warehouses zoned for light industrial which can be used for investments in creating local new jobs.“
For more information on Clay’s campaign, contact www.clay4d7.com.
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Marcie Hodge
A former two-term Peralta Community College Trustee, and current executive director of the nonprofit, St. John’s Boys Home and St John Corinthian Care, Hodge noted that District 7 “doesn’t need a transfer of leadership, we need new leadership.”
“I’m in the residential care business and many residential program owners like me want to expand their businesses because we are interested in serving different populations,” said Hodge.
“The unhoused includes many subgroups that must be considered for intensive support. We have a large population of individuals who have been released from state hospitals and many of them have mental disorders and need medical support.”
“When elected as District 7’s City Council person, my first priority is to address the issue of blight,” said Hodge. “We need to clean up the streets and identify areas that are frequently used as dumping grounds. The issue of dumping needs to be eradicated and cameras should be installed”.
“District 7 (residents) deserve to have an ability to work and play in a community where we don’t have to worry about always looking over our shoulder. I want our community to thrive.”
For more information about the Hodge campaign, go to www.hodge4oakland2020.com.
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Bishop Robert (Bob) Jackson
Pastor of Acts Full Gospel Church in Oakland for more than 36 years, Jackson stressed his ideas for District 7 are based on what he has already been doing.
“I have lived in East Oakland for more than 43 years working for the betterment of the community,” said Jackson. “I started the Men of Valor Academy which has helped thousands of formerly incarcerated men become successful and away from crime.”
“I started the OK Program for boys 12 to18 years old; a food program, which feeds 300 individuals each week; the Acts Community Development Corporation, and the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce.”
“First and foremost, I believe City Hall should address the issue of blight and illegal dumping in our community,” said Jackson. “The trash, debris and garbage in this community have been neglected far too long. It’s like a Third World country out here and the problem needs to be abated now.
“I will also address the ‘drug stores’ we have in the community. I’m not talking about Walgreens or CVS; I’m talking about the young men who are selling drugs on our corners and streets. We need more police presence in our community to address these types of problems and we need faster response times from the police instead of two or three days later. The safety of our community is paramount.”
To learn more about Bishop Jackson’s campaign, visit www.jacksonforeastoakland.com.
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Treva Reid
Reid is the daughter of 24-year incumbent Larry Reid but her passion to serve is solely-based on her commitment and leadership experience to move East Oakland Forward.
“I’ve only known my father’s career to be working and leading in service to others. I commend him for the years he’s served,” she said. “It is paramount that District 7 goes through a philosophical, practical and strategic process to benefit us all.”
“Our community must be heard. I believe it is prudent that you proactively meet them where they are in your approach to championing equitable outcomes,” she added.
Reid’s campaign platform focuses on community vitality, ensuring housing stability, increasing career opportunities, economic development and ending gun violence. She says she’s ready to tackle the city’s most challenging issues with sound judgment, strategic planning and collaborative execution.
Reid’s numerous endorsements include State Senator Nancy Skinner, Oakland Firefighters, Pastor Michael McBride of The Way Church and BWOPA. She is the only candidate endorsed by the Alameda County Democratic Party.
To learn more about Reid’s campaign, go to www.reidforoakland.com.
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Marchon Tatmon
Government Affairs Manager for the San Francisco Marin Food Bank, Tatmon said that there are a multitude of important issues facing residents in District 7 and Oakland.
Regarding COVID-19 Tatmon said, “In the midst of all of this, residents have also had to deal with finding and acquiring affordable housing; pushing for police reform; obtaining employment and sustaining equitable economic development,” said Tatmon.
“I used to house our homeless neighbors and ran a winter shelter program,” Tatmon said. “I know what the unhoused people in this city have to go through. We need to find housing for the 4,000+ people who are currently living on the streets.”
“We will also need to work with developers to ensure there’s enough affordable housing being constructed. There needs to be a healthy stock of affordable housing, while also providing wrap-around services including mental health, drug addiction and information on financial literacy.”
Tatmon also believes there needs to be a focus on police reform. “The Police Dept. needs to be defunded and the budget should be scrutinized by every line item so we can know where to pull monies from,” said Tatmon. “Presently, more that 20% of the city’s budget goes to the police but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s helping to reduce crime.”
For more information on the Tatmon campaign, contact votemarchon@gmail.com.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of June 18 – 24, 2025
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of June 18 – 24, 2025

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.
Activism
OPINION: California’s Legislature Has the Wrong Prescription for the Affordability Crisis — Gov. Newsom’s Plan Hits the Mark
Last month, Gov. Newsom included measures in his budget that would encourage greater transparency, accountability, and affordability across the prescription drug supply chain. His plan would deliver real relief to struggling Californians. It would also help expose the hidden markups and practices by big drug companies that push the prices of prescription drugs higher and higher. The legislature should follow the Governor’s lead and embrace sensible, fair regulations that will not raise the cost of medications.

By Rev. Dr. Lawrence E. VanHook
As a pastor and East Bay resident, I see firsthand how my community struggles with the rising cost of everyday living. A fellow pastor in Oakland recently told me he cuts his pills in half to make them last longer because of the crushing costs of drugs.
Meanwhile, community members are contending with skyrocketing grocery prices and a lack of affordable healthcare options, while businesses are being forced to close their doors.
Our community is hurting. Things have to change.
The most pressing issue that demands our leaders’ attention is rising healthcare costs, and particularly the rising cost of medications. Annual prescription drug costs in California have spiked by nearly 50% since 2018, from $9.1 billion to $13.6 billion.
Last month, Gov. Newsom included measures in his budget that would encourage greater transparency, accountability, and affordability across the prescription drug supply chain. His plan would deliver real relief to struggling Californians. It would also help expose the hidden markups and practices by big drug companies that push the prices of prescription drugs higher and higher. The legislature should follow the Governor’s lead and embrace sensible, fair regulations that will not raise the cost of medications.
Some lawmakers, however, have advanced legislation that would drive up healthcare costs and set communities like mine back further.
I’m particularly concerned with Senate Bill (SB) 41, sponsored by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), a carbon copy of a 2024 bill that I strongly opposed and Gov. Newsom rightly vetoed. This bill would impose significant healthcare costs on patients, small businesses, and working families, while allowing big drug companies to increase their profits.
SB 41 would impose a new $10.05 pharmacy fee for every prescription filled in California. This new fee, which would apply to millions of Californians, is roughly five times higher than the current average of $2.
For example, a Bay Area family with five monthly prescriptions would be forced to shoulder about $500 more in annual health costs. If a small business covers 25 employees, each with four prescription fills per month (the national average), that would add nearly $10,000 per year in health care costs.
This bill would also restrict how health plan sponsors — like employers, unions, state plans, Medicare, and Medicaid — partner with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to negotiate against big drug companies and deliver the lowest possible costs for employees and members. By mandating a flat fee for pharmacy benefit services, this misguided legislation would undercut your health plan’s ability to drive down costs while handing more profits to pharmaceutical manufacturers.
This bill would also endanger patients by eliminating safety requirements for pharmacies that dispense complex and costly specialty medications. Additionally, it would restrict home delivery for prescriptions, a convenient and affordable service that many families rely on.
Instead of repeating the same tired plan laid out in the big pharma-backed playbook, lawmakers should embrace Newsom’s transparency-first approach and prioritize our communities.
Let’s urge our state legislators to reject policies like SB 41 that would make a difficult situation even worse for communities like ours.
About the Author
Rev. Dr. VanHook is the founder and pastor of The Community Church in Oakland and the founder of The Charis House, a re-entry facility for men recovering from alcohol and drug abuse.
Antonio Ray Harvey
Air Quality Board Rejects Two Rules Written to Ban Gas Water Heaters and Furnaces
The proposal would have affected 17 million residents in Southern California, requiring businesses, homeowners, and renters to convert to electric units. “We’ve gone through six months, and we’ve made a decision today,” said SCAQMD board member Carlos Rodriguez. “It’s time to move forward with what’s next on our policy agenda.”

By Antonio Ray Harvey
California Black Media
Two proposed rules to eliminate the usage of gas water heaters and furnaces by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) in Southern California were rejected by the Governing Board on June 6.
Energy policy analysts say the board’s decision has broader implications for the state.
With a 7-5 vote, the board decided not to amend Rules 1111 and 1121 at the meeting held in Diamond Bar in L.A. County.
The proposal would have affected 17 million residents in Southern California, requiring businesses, homeowners, and renters to convert to electric units.
“We’ve gone through six months, and we’ve made a decision today,” said SCAQMD board member Carlos Rodriguez. “It’s time to move forward with what’s next on our policy agenda.”
The AQMD governing board is a 13-member body responsible for setting air quality policies and regulations within the South Coast Air Basin, which covers areas in four counties: Riverside County, Orange County, San Bernardino County and parts of Los Angeles County.
The board is made up of representatives from various elected offices within the region, along with members who are appointed by the Governor, Speaker of the Assembly, and Senate Rules Committee.
Holly J. Mitchell, who serves as a County Supervisor for the Second District of Los Angeles County, is a SCAQMD board member. She supported the amendments, but respected the board’s final decision, stating it was a “compromise.”
“In my policymaking experience, if you can come up with amended language that everyone finds some fault with, you’ve probably threaded the needle as best as you can,” Mitchell said before the vote. “What I am not okay with is serving on AQMD is making no decision. Why be here? We have a responsibility to do all that we can to get us on a path to cleaner air.”
The rules proposed by AQMD, Rule 1111 and Rule 1121, aim to reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from natural gas-fired furnaces and water heaters.
Rule 1111 and Rule 1121 were designed to control air pollution, particularly emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx).
Two days before the Governing Board’s vote, gubernatorial candidate Antonio Villaraigosa asked SCAQMD to reject the two rules.
Villaraigosa expressed his concerns during a Zoom call with the Cost of Living Council, a Southern California organization that also opposes the rules. Villaraigosa said the regulations are difficult to understand.
“Let me be clear, I’ve been a big supporter of AQMD over the decades. I have been a believer and a fighter on the issue of climate change my entire life,” Villaraigosa said. “But there is no question that what is going on now just doesn’t make sense. We are engaging in regulations that are put on the backs of working families, small businesses, and the middle class, and we don’t have the grid for all this.”
Rules 1111 and 1121 would also establish manufacturer requirements for the sale of space and water heating units that meet low-NOx and zero-NOx emission standards that change over time, according to SCAQMD.
The requirements also include a mitigation fee for NOx-emitting units, with an option to pay a higher mitigation fee if manufacturers sell more low-NOx water heating and space units.
Proponents of the proposed rules say the fees are designed to incentivize actions that reduce emissions.
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