OAKLAND — The race to be Oakland’s next mayor may have officially kicked off Monday, but the starting line is eerily quiet — and may continue to be until Rep. Barbara Lee makes up her mind about whether to run.
Lee, the longtime East Bay congresswoman and stalwart of progressive politics, said late last week in a social media post that she will announce her decision in early January, noting the decision was “not one I take lightly.”
In the meantime, Lee has held numerous private meetings with city officials about the issues affecting Oakland, from the ongoing budget crisis to homelessness to policing, two sources with direct knowledge of those conversations told this news organization.
The policy “deep dive,” as a source not authorized to speak publicly put it, might offer reassurance to skeptics who worry that the retiring legislator, who has represented Oakland, Alameda, Berkeley and San Leandro in Congress since 1998, would struggle to adapt to running a city full-time.
But the larger consequence of Lee’s decision-making timeline is that the run-up to the April 15 special election to replace Mayor Sheng Thao has largely stalled. Most candidates are holding off until Lee makes a move.
Hours after the formal start on Monday of the candidate filing period, which lasts until Jan. 17, only two people had scheduled appointments to pull papers for the office — Peter Liu and Mindy Ruth Pechenuk, a pair of fringe prospects who are unlikely to make a dent in the race.
Loren Taylor, the runner-up in the 2022 mayoral election, said Monday he plans to pull papers in the coming days, noting in an interview that his desire to help Oakland grow as a city won’t be affected by whom he’s running against.
But others, such as former Councilmember Ignacio De La Fuente and lobbyist Isaac Kos-Read, have said they’re holding off.
“To be candid, I’m getting a little restless — but out of respect I have to wait,” De La Fuente said Monday in an interview. “Hopefully, she’ll make a decision soon.”
An open letter published last week by numerous Oakland leaders urging Lee to run included sign-offs from City Council members Nikki Fortunato Bas, Treva Reid and Dan Kalb, as well as prospective candidate Kos-Read.
The letter included signatures from both labor leaders and local political figures who otherwise have often clashed on issues like crime and public spending.
“We need someone who can bring the new ideas, policies, resources and opportunities that the people of Oakland deserve,” the letter read. “That person is Barbara Lee.”
There are other examples of weighty political races symbolically put on hold amid “will they, won’t they” tension involving potential candidates, including late Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s indecision to run for California governor in 1998.
But the upcoming special election in Oakland is unique in how strongly some local leaders seem to be thinking past the election entirely in their overtures to Lee, said political expert Dan Schnur.
“These communities and business and labor leaders aren’t begging her to run because they think she’s the only one who can win,” Schnur said. “They think she’s the only one who can govern.”
The clearest sign of how many in the city view Lee — who has often weighed in on local affairs to oppose Thao’s recall or support striking teachers or chastise the departing A’s — might be a billboard that popped up in recent weeks along Interstate 880 in East Oakland.
“Thank You, Barbara Lee,” it reads, “for bringing over half a billion dollars of federal funds into Oakland in 2024!”
The billboard, hoisted near the highway’s High Street exit, also links to a website, thankyoubarbaralee.com, which lists some of Lee’s accomplishments and includes a sign-up form “to add your name to our letter of gratitude!”
Both the physical and digital ads were created by the East Oakland Youth Development Center. Selena Wilson, the nonprofit’s CEO, said the gesture had nothing to do with the upcoming special election and was solely intended to honor the congresswoman for her longtime support of the center.
Nationally, Lee is perhaps best known for being the only member of Congress to oppose the use of military force following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Her entry into the race would bring a layer of gravitas to the top political office in Oakland, a city whose reputation took a hit after crime rose and the economy declined during the pandemic.
But it may also bring back memories of the mayoral tenure of the late Rep. Ron Delllums, whose decorated legacy was hurt by the perception that he was an absentee leader during the Great Recession, or former Gov. Jerry Brown, whose time as mayor coincided with the infamous Riders police brutality scandal.
Taylor, meanwhile, is steadfast about wanting to lead, an ambition that has not diminished in the two years since his loss to Thao by fewer than 700 ranked-choice votes.
“I think the fact that the others are playing a game of political calculus,” he said, “is indicative of where their leadership commitment is and how confident they are in what they’re bringing to the table.”
Shomik Mukherjee is a reporter covering Oakland. Call or text him at 510-905-5495 or email him at shomik@bayareanewsgroup.com.