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Sheng Thao Becomes Oakland’s Mayor

Mayor-Elect Sheng Thao’s victory is also historic: She is the first person of Hmong descent to lead a major U.S. city and — at 37 — the youngest Oakland mayor in about 75 years. (The first Hmong mayor was Steve Ly, who served as mayor of Elk Grove, California, from 2016-2020.)

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Sheng Thao
Sheng Thao. City of Oakland photo.

By Post Staff

Sheng Thao, Oakland’s District 4 Councilmember, declared victory Monday night in the city’s mayoral election after two weeks of ballot counting gave her a 682-vote edge over her closest rival, District 6 Councilmember Loren Taylor.

Taylor conceded on Tuesday morning.

“I have never felt more hopeful about Oakland’s future, or more determined to lead the fight for it,” Thao said in a statement. “I’m excited to get to work building the safer, more affordable, more just Oakland we know is possible in the months and years ahead.”

Both Thao and Taylor were relative newcomers to the City Council, both assuming office in 2019. Thao also held the position of council president pro tempore.

Voter turnout was low: only 113,636 ballots were cast. Thao received 50.3% of the vote to Taylor’s 49.7%. Taylor had been leading until Nov. 18.

Thao acknowledged the narrow margin.

“This was a very close election. I want to congratulate Loren Taylor on the strong campaign he ran. Councilmember Taylor and his family have been making a difference for this city for generations and we owe him a real debt of gratitude,” said Thao according to KRON TV news. “I hope to speak with Councilmember Taylor in the days ahead to find ways to work together for the good of our city.”

In his concession speech on Tuesday, Taylor told news outlets that he didn’t see a way forward to winning and criticized the rank-choice form of voting, referring to it as a form of voter suppression. He is not going to seek a recount although he would support any community member who wanted it done.

Thao’s victory is also historic: She is the first person of Hmong descent to lead a major U.S. city and — at 37 — the youngest Oakland mayor in about 75 years. (The first Hmong mayor was Steve Ly, who served as mayor of Elk Grove, California, from 2016-2020.)

Thao grew up in poverty as one of 10 children of Laotian refugees who lived in federal housing projects in Stockton. She settled in Oakland and found work at Merritt College before enrolling in classes, eventually transferring to UC Berkley in 2010 where she completed her degree in legal studies and city planning in 2012.

That summer she started work for Oakland City Councilmember at-Large Rebecca Kaplan and joined Kaplan’s staff formally in 2014.

Having once been a single mother who endured domestic abuse which forced her to live in her car for a period, her road to success was rocky. Despite that success, Thao, like many Oakland citizens, knows what it’s like to be unsafe: while her teenaged son was home alone recently, their house was broken into by would-be burglars while she was attending a City Council meeting.

It was her own experience with safety and homelessness that was part of what drove her to put those issues at the top of her agenda for Oakland.

Considered a progressive, Thao wants the Oakland Police Department to be fully staffed at 750 officers and supports development of a civilian unit to handle mental health calls. She wants more public safety funds diverted to Oakland’s Department of Violence Prevention.

Further, Thao asserts that a law-and-order approach to public safety is not enough: the factors that lead to crime must be addressed by improving education and promoting economic mobility by paying people a living wage.

Housing for the unhoused is extremely important to her both as someone who was once homeless, but also as one of the three renters who serve on the City Council.

During her campaign, she promised to expand mental health and drug treatment services for those living on the streets and expand the number of parking sites for RVs. By the end of her second term, she promised to build 30,000 affordable housing units.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, one of Thao’s key proposals “is to create an enhanced infrastructure financing district over parts of East and West Oakland. The City Council took the first step to study it earlier this month. The tax district would siphon some property tax revenue from the city’s general fund and set it aside for affordable housing and infrastructure projects.”

The San Francisco Chronicle, KRON-TV News, Ballotpedia, Wikipedia, and CBS news were the sources for this report.

Activism

Former U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee Reflects on Her Career as She Bids Farewell to Congress

“Together, we have raised our voices and pushed the envelope for peace, justice and equity. It has been the honor of a lifetime to provide constituent services, deliver federal investments to my district, speak out, and often times be the only one to take tough votes against the tide. I have, and will continue to, fight for working families, the middle class, low income and poor people,” said Lee On her final day in Congress.

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Rep. Barbara Lee. File photo.
Rep. Barbara Lee. File photo.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

Outgoing Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA-12) expressed deep gratitude to her constituents and marked the end of her 26-year career in public service.

Lee, who is succeeded by Lateefah Simon, a civil rights and racial justice activist, praised people in her community for their support. She also highlighted her dedication to promoting peace, justice, and equity.

“Together, we have raised our voices and pushed the envelope for peace, justice and equity. It has been the honor of a lifetime to provide constituent services, deliver federal investments to my district, speak out, and often times be the only one to take tough votes against the tide. I have, and will continue to, fight for working families, the middle class, low income and poor people,” said Lee On her final day in Congress.

Throughout her tenure, Lee earned a reputation as a principled lawmaker known for taking bold and sometimes unpopular stances. One of her defining moments came in 2001 when she was the sole member of Congress to vote against the Authorization for the Use of Military Force in response to the September 11 attacks. This decision led to death threats but ultimately cemented her legacy of courage.

Lee’s leadership extended beyond her district, where she fought for social justice, the rights of low-income communities, and global health initiatives. She was a key figure in pushing for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). She was a vocal critic of the Hyde Amendment, which restricts federal funding for abortion services.

The Congresswoman also faced significant challenges in her career, including a failed Senate bid in 2024. Yet, Lee’s efforts have paved the way for more excellent representation, with more Black women now elected to Congress. She worked closely with organizations like Representation Matters to encourage more women of color to run for office.

Lee says she looks to the future, confident that the next generation of leaders will continue her unfinished work, particularly on issues like military force and reproductive rights.

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Oakland Post: Week of February 5 – 11, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of February 5 – 11, 2025

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Oakland Post: Week of January 29 – February 4, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of January 29 – February 4, 2025

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