Two recalls on the Oakland ballot show frustration about crime 'boiling over'
OAKLAND — When Sheng Thao was sworn in as mayor of Oakland in January of 2023, a raft of feel-good stories followed, often featuring beaming portraits of the mayor in front of sun-drenched civic landmarks.Oakland’s new mayor was, as the New York Times noted, suddenly the nation’s most prominent Hmong elected official.The Washington Post interviewed Thao about her journey from homeless young mother to the city’s chief executive.
Her election, said the Guardian, seemed to represent a progressive victory in a region where tech billionaires were intent on yanking politicians to the right.But, oh, how the political mood has changed.
On Tuesday, Thao is facing a recall election, bankrolled in large part by a wealthy hedge fund manager who lives just outside of Oakland in the small city of Piedmont.Many political observers expect her to lose her seat, despite the fact that she retains backing from some of Oakland’s most powerful elected officials, including Rep.
Barbara Lee and state Sen.Nancy Skinner.
Voters in Oakland and across Alameda County will also weigh in on the recall of Dist.Atty.
Pamela Price, the first Black woman to hold the job, who is less than two years into a six-year term.The grievances that recall backers have listed against Thao are numerous, and include allegations of fiscal mismanagement and even failing to keep the Oakland A’s baseball team in the city.Thao has said that she is “working tirelessly for Oakland’s future” and that she has “tackled rising crime, homelessness and budget challenges head-on.” The recall against Price, a former civil rights attorney, was launched within months of her taking office.
She had campaigned on a platform that included pledges to reform the justice system, stop “over-criminalizing” young people and hold law enforcement accountable for misconduct.Critics have alleged that she has mismanaged her office.
Price has countered that the recall is fundamentally undemocratic and represe...