Oakland, California, voters recalled Mayor Sheng Thao by a margin of 61.5%-38.5% on Nov. 5. The office is nonpartisan, but Thao is affiliated with the Democratic Party. This is the first time in the city’s history that voters recalled a mayor.
Official results will be certified on Dec. 5, at which time Thao must vacate the office. The Oakland City Council is expected to announce the vacancy at its Dec. 17 meeting, with a special election being held within 120 days of the announcement.
Thao said, “It was my goal to make Oakland safer, cleaner, and more vibrant. And I am proud of what we accomplished together. We brought crime down dramatically across the board with a historic 35% reduction in homicides. For the first time in over a decade, Oakland went over a month without a single murder. Our work literally saved lives.”
Background
Voters elected Thao mayor on Nov. 8, 2022. She defeated Loren Taylor in the ninth round of ranked choice voting with 50.3% of the vote to Taylor’s 49.7%.
Alameda County Registrar of Voters Tim Dupuis certified the recall for the ballot in June 2024, with recall supporters citing crime, public safety, and homelessness as key issues. Other criticisms included Thao firing Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong in February 2023 and a June 2024 FBI raid on Thao’s home. For more background on the arguments in support of recalling Thao, click here.
Oaklanders Defending Democracy, the official campaign against the recall, highlighted Thao’s record on crime, homelessness, and the economy, saying, “Oakland needs steady, experienced leadership to navigate these challenges, and this recall threatens to derail that stability. Instead of pushing the city toward progress, it would create political chaos, disrupt ongoing efforts, and waste millions of taxpayer dollars.” For more background on the arguments against recalling Thao, click here.
Noteworthy endorsements in support of the recall included: The San Francisco Chronicle, former Superior Court of Alameda County Justice Brenda Harbin-Forte, former Mayor Libby Schaaf, and the NAACP Oakland.
Noteworthy endorsements opposing the recall included: U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee (D), state Sen. Nancy Skinner (D), former Mayor Jean Quan, and the Alameda County Democratic Party.
Analysis
With 440,646 residents, Oakland, California, is the 44th most populated city in the country. According to The San Francisco Chronicle, Thao’s recall is the first successful recall of a mayor in the city’s history. The last attempt was in 1917 when voters failed to recall Mayor John Davie.
As of June 2024, Ballotpedia there were 164 recall efforts against 266 officials in 26 states. California and Michigan led the way in officials targeted for recall with 57 each in the first half of the year. From 2016 to 2017 and 2019 to 2021, California had the most officials targeted for recall.
