WHILE OAKLAND MAY have to wait several days to find out who will be its next mayor, voters in Tuesday’s special election also weighed in on a proposed half-cent sales tax as well as who will represent the City Council’s District 2 seat previously held by Nikki Fortunato Bas.
In the council race, Charlene Wang was leading in early returns late Tuesday, according to the Alameda County Registrar of Voters’ Office.
Wang was ahead of the five other candidates on the ballot with 50.5% of the vote in the first round of ranked-choice voting contest as of Wednesday morning.
Kara Murray-Badal was in second place with about 26.2% of the vote and Harold Lowe III had about 13.1%.
The results are preliminary and the final vote tally will be announced after the Registrar of Voters’ Office completes several rounds of ranked-choice vote counting.
It could take several days for the final tally to come in and the next scheduled update isn’t until Friday, according to the registrar’s website.
The election was scheduled last year following Fortunato Bas’ election to the Alameda County Board of Supervisors last November.
The winner of Tuesday’s election will represent an area that is roughly east of Lake Merritt and south of Piedmont.
The other candidates are property manager Paula Thomas, the Rev. Kenneth Anderson, restaurateur and local businessperson Kanitha Matoury, housing policy advocate Murray-Badal and financial planner Lowe III.
Wang is an East Bay native who grew up visiting her grandparents in West Oakland and who now lives in the Eastlake/San Antonio area.
She has worked for the U.S. EPA on civil rights and environmental justice issues. Wang lost a November 2024 election for the at-large City Council seat to current Councilmember Rowena Brown.
Measure A has nearly 2-to-1 advantage
Elsewhere, Measure A, a half-cent sales tax proposal, was ahead in early returns Wednesday with about 64.2% of voters approving it, according to the registrar’s office.
If approved, it would increase Oakland’s sales tax from 10.25% to 10.75% to raise between $20 million and $30 million annually for the next 10 years.
It requires a majority of votes — greater than 50 percent — to pass.
The City Council voted 6-0 to place the measure on the ballot in December 2024, with then-councilmembers Carroll Fife and Janani Ramachandran excused.
Councilmember Kevin Jenkins, who sponsored the ordinance to place Measure A on the ballot, is now serving as interim mayor until the winner of Tuesday’s mayoral election begins their term.
Measure A is intended to help tackle Oakland’s ongoing budget shortfall, which is estimated at $280 million over the next two-year budget cycle.
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