The top two challengers for Oakland’s open mayoral seat got into a testy exchange Tuesday night after a former councilman said the people who supported the city’s disgraced mayor were now backing former Rep. Barbara Lee.
Lee, 78, represented the San Francisco Bay Area city in Congress for 26 years but lost a primary election last year for the late Dianne Feinstein’s Senate seat. Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) won that race, and Lee retired.
She came out of retirement to run for mayor after a self-described group of “business, labor, community, government, and faith leaders who rarely agree on things” released an open letter to her in late December, claiming “extraordinary times” brought them together, and they implored her to keep the city from going into shambles.
Lee is one of nine candidates in the crowded race to replace former Mayor Sheng Thao. Thao, who had been on the job for two years, was recalled in November by angry voters and has since been federally indicted on bribery, corruption, and fraud charges. She became the nation’s first mayor of a major city to be ousted in over a decade.
Loren Taylor, one of the candidates who wants to replace her, said Lee had been “recruited by some of those backers that recruited Sheng Thao to run.”
Taylor’s comments follow growing criticism that Lee had opposed the recalls of Thao and former Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price and had urged Oaklanders to move forward.
Lee hit back at Taylor, asking if the supporters he mentioned included the union workers and members of the Oakland Chamber of Commerce who have supported her candidacy.
“I will not take cheap shots at people who support him — that’s wrong,” Lee said of Taylor. “I’m talking about bringing the city together, not dividing us, and I think my campaign has illustrated that.”
The April 15 special election comes as the California city faces an $89 million budget deficit that has already led to layoffs and other cost-cutting measures. Oakland, hard hit by crime, has scaled back public safety measures. The city has approved cuts within its arts, culture, police, and fire sectors. Several fire stations were closed in January.
Taylor and Lee have raised a combined $600,000 for the race, according to recently filed campaign disclosure forms. Lee, who has been fundraising since January, raised $293,000, while Taylor has raised $253,000 since Jan. 1. He has raised $310,000 since November.
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The cost for a special stand-alone election, determined by the Alameda County Registrar of Voters, is about $19 to $21 per voter.
There are 253,015 registered voters in Oakland, which comes out to a little more than $5 million to hold the election.