The first results show that these candidates are leading

Early election results Tuesday night offered the first glimpse into the outcome of five Oakland City Council races that could reshape one of the nation’s most progressive cities politically on crime, policing and the city’s financial future.

With about 147,000 ballots counted, Rowena Brown, Zac Unger, Carroll Fife, Noel Gallo and Ken Houston respectively claimed very early leads for five of the city’s eight council seats, while Ryan Richardson led the race to become the next city attorney.

The first round of results on Tuesday included mail-in ballots, while later releases were expected to include in-person votes. Election officials will continue counting ballots as they receive them, with final results not expected for at least several days.

Oakland voters have become increasingly polarized over the past two years, amid disputes over crime statistics, police staffing and the city’s uncertain financial prospects — issues that contributed to Mayor Sheng Thao’s costly recall election.

Here’s what the council and attorney races looked like after the initial results:

Rowena Brown, State Assembly staffer had a slight lead in a 10-candidate race that also included former Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong; housing planner Shawn Danino; former federal policy official Charlene Wang; store owner Kanitha Matoury; Pastor Fabian Robinson; seamstress Selika Thomas; city ​​library commissioner Cristina Tostado; Mindy Ruth Pechenuk; and Nancy Sidebotham.

The at-large seat being vacated by Councilwoman Rebecca Kaplan is the only council office decided by voters citywide, rather than in a specific geographic district.

LeRonne Armstrong’s campaign followed his resignation last year as police chief — a decision by Mayor Sheng Thao that sparked widespread backlash and a targeted recall movement centered on a pro-police approach and tough-on-crime policies. Armstrong was in a close second place in the first results.

Zac Unger, president of the Oakland Firefighters Union sat in the driver’s seat of a three-candidate race for a District 1 seat versus accountant Len Raphael and local baker Edward Frank. The district includes areas of North Oakland, including the borders of Emeryville, Rockridge and Temescal.

Unger, a progressive champion of the city’s dominant unions, was seen throughout the election season as the likely successor to left-wing Councilman Dan Kalb.

Incumbent councilor Carroll Fife had a handle on one six-candidate race in District 3 against incumbent policy analyst Warren Logan; clothing company owner Meron Semedar; Community Housing Assistant Michelle Hailey; Shan Hirsch, a longtime West Oakland resident; and entrepreneur Baba Afolabi.

District 3, which spans West Oakland, uptown and part of downtown, has become something of a key political battleground for the city’s future.

Fife’s steadfast progressive ideals on issues such as housing and crime had made her the target of a growing moderate movement, with Logan the beneficiary of her critics’ fundraising efforts.

Incumbent councilor Noel Gallo had an advantage in District 5 about opponents Alameda County staffer Erin Armstrong and taco spot owner Dominic Prado. The district covers parts of East Oakland, including the Fruitvale neighborhood.

Gallo would become Oakland’s longest-serving council member, although his reputation for prioritizing community work over policymaking faced a concerted challenge from Erin Armstrong, who is a staffer for longtime Supervisor Nate Miley.

Ken Houston, a city beautification contractor, was leading in a four-candidate race for an open District 7 seat that also included bids from City Council employee Iris Merrouins, former Peralta College board director Marcie Hodge and pet sitter Merika Goolsby.

The district, which covers areas of East Oakland near the San Leandro and Alameda borders, was vacated at the last minute by Councilmember Treva Reid, leading to an unexpectedly open race.

Merriouns, chief of staff to Councilmember Janani Ramachandran, saw financial support from unions, while Houston got a boost from the mayor’s recall forces.

Deputy City Attorney Ryan Richardson led former Judge Brenda Harbin-Forte to be the next city attorney after Barbara Parker’s retirement.

The race against the lawyers took on a particularly contentious tone because of Harbin-Forte’s role as leader of the recall campaign against Thao, which put additional spotlight on Richardson’s support from the unions.

The mayor’s recall seemed to leave other Oakland races hanging and sometimes overshadowed. It also created a central theme that intertwined between them all.

The city faces deep political divisions over key policy questions, such as the extent to which the large police budget should be preserved relative to other city departments in upcoming budget discussions.

With the city completely in the grip of the financial crisis, a renewed city council in January may not have much time to settle in before important decisions are in hand.

Shomik Mukherjee is a reporter covering Oakland. Call or text him at 510-905-5495 or email him at [email protected].

Originally published: November 5, 2024 at 8:51 PM PST