Ten candidates are running in the April 15 nonpartisan, special general election for mayor of Oakland. Incumbent Kevin Jenkins is not running. The Oakland City Council selected Jenkins to serve as interim mayor after voters recalled former mayor Sheng Thao 60.6%-39.4% on Nov. 5, 2024. Click here to learn more about the recall. This was the first time in the city’s history that a mayor was successfully recalled.

Oakland uses ranked-choice voting (RCV), which asks voters to rank candidates by preference on their ballots. Click here to learn more about that process.

Barbara Lee, Loren Taylor, and Renia Webb lead in media attention and endorsements.

Lee represented California’s 12th Congressional District from 2023 to 2025. In 2024, Lee placed fourth out of seven candidates in the U.S. Senate primary to replace former Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D), who died on Sept. 29, 2023.

Lee highlighted her record in Congress and as a state legislator, saying she “focused on local issues in terms of bringing home billions of dollars to make sure that my community benefits from my work on the national and state level.” Lee also said she would focus on unifying the city around an agenda that prioritizes public safety, housing, government accountability, and economic development and jobs. Lee’s campaign website says, “Working together, we will provide shelter/services/programs to our unhoused residents, invest in public safety and violence prevention programs, and provide more housing, education, and economic development in historically underrepresented communities.”

Taylor was a member of the Oakland City Council, representing District 6 from 2019 to 2023. Taylor also ran for mayor in 2022. In the ninth round of ranked-choice voting, Thao defeated Taylor 50.3%-49.7%.

Taylor is running on his record as a former city council member and his experience working as an engineer and consultant: “We need new energy, fresh perspective, and a deliberate focus on making hard but necessary choices to get us through this current period. … My vision for Oakland is that we are the safe, clean city that we know we can be, that we are full of opportunities, and we are founded on a solid foundation of fiscal solvency.” Taylor’s campaign website says, “We can build a city where we’re not stepping over trash or afraid of being the next crime victim. Business-as-usual politics in City Hall has failed us. Residents and businesses have been treated as an afterthought.. .. 86,000 Oakland residents united to recall failed leadership. They voted for change; it’s time to elect change.”

Webb is an elementary school teacher and worked as Thao’s chief of staff when Thao was on Oakland’s City Council. Webb also worked as a communications manager at Urban Lynx Consulting, a community engagement specialist for Jimmie Wilson’s Alameda County District Attorney campaign, and a construction community liaison for the Oakland Unified School District.

Webb’s campaign website says, “My mission is to bridge the gaps, amplify underrepresented voices, and create a city where everyone can thrive.” Webb also highlighted public safety, saying she has seen how the issue affects her students, “When I hear stories of them telling me that their car got stolen the night before and their teddy bear was in it, and they couldn’t sleep last night. You see the impacts that crime has on our city.” Webb’s website lists public safety, economic revitalization, fiscal responsibility, affordable housing, and public health as priorities. Webb said her position as Thao’s chief-of-staff ended the day Thao was sworn in as mayor. She also said, “When people try to associate me with Sheng I say great go ahead because I’m the one that stood up to her and said, ‘I’m not going to be corrupt and I’m not going to sell out Oakland.’”

Proponents of the Thao recall cited her handling of crime and a June 2024 FBI raid of Thao’s home as reasons for the recall. After the recall voters recalled Thao on Nov. 5, she 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.” Thao and three other people were indicted on bribery, conspiracy, and mail and wire fraud charges on Jan. 17, 2025.

Lee, Taylor, and Webb all participated in a forum on Feb. 18, 2025. At the forum, the candidates discussed public safety, homelessness, economic conditions, and government accountability. Click here to watch the forum.

President Cristina Grappo, Tyron Jordan, Peter Liu, Mindy Pechenuk, Suz Robinson, Eric Simpson, and Elizabeth Swaney are also running. Liu completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey. Click here to read the responses.

The filing deadline for this election was Jan. 17, 2025.