Why we’re optimistic about Oakland post-election

Oaklanders,

It’s been a whirlwind of a few months, having gone through our first election last November, and now having wrapped our second with the special election last week.

With any election, it takes a good amount of courage to step into the arena and be part of the change, rather than sit on the sidelines, so we applaud all the candidates for their efforts and hope they continue to stay engaged.

We’re proud to say that Empower won 2 of its 3 endorsements — Charlene Wang for District 2 and Measure A. While we hoped for a different outcome in the mayoral race, Empower is hoping to work with Mayor-elect Barbara Lee to help stage Oakland’s comeback.

Here are a few important post-election thoughts and why we’re optimistic about Oakland’s future…

Charlene Wang

We’re thrilled to have supported Charlene Wang in her decisive victory. Charlene’s campaign stood out for its thoughtfulness, integrity, and deep connection to the District 2 community. Day after day, she was out in the neighborhoods, listening to residents, and articulating a bold, practical vision for a stronger Oakland.

Charlene brings a rare mix of authenticity, curiosity, policy depth, and hustle — qualities that will serve her well in her new role on city council. And it’s that hustle that gives us confidence she will deliver real outcomes. Oakland is lucky to have her.

Measure A

The vote for a sales tax increase passed by an impressive 65%. While we endorsed Measure A, it was with fair warning — new revenue alone won’t solve Oakland’s problems.

Measure A will bring much needed funds to the city budget, but they will only be as good as the fiscal responsibility and long-term financial reform that our leaders demand. This is exactly why common-sense, outcomes-driven leaders like Charlene are so important in City Hall.

Our hope is the city will spend this new revenue efficiently and effectively, not just throwing good money after bad as we’ve done in the past, but spending on tangible outcomes that benefit our residents.

The mayoral race

First, we want to congratulate Barbara Lee. Empower’s mission has always been bigger than a single candidate or election — it’s about building a better Oakland. That’s why we were encouraged to see that Lee’s 100-day plan echoes many of the priorities we championed throughout the campaign. The plan is a mix of action-oriented steps (which we like) and “bring people together” steps (which we’re more uncertain of).

Mayor-elect Lee campaigned on a promise to unify Oakland and bring together voices who don’t always agree with each other. Empower Oakland hopes she makes good on this promise, and would love to help her administration in any way we can.

We also look forward to seeing her usher in a new era of transparency, accountability, and a strong bias for action as she gets to work.

Second, we want to recognize the leadership of Loren Taylor. Running against the full force of the political establishment, Loren offered real solutions with a brave and honest platform that was about making the tough choices necessary to move our city forward.

In fact, his vision was so compelling that many of his policy ideas were regularly embraced by other candidates — a huge positive for the city, even though disappointing that the architect of those creative ideas won’t be able to see them through.

The very fact that Loren won over 47% of voters is a testament that so many Oaklanders are hungry for change. We view this as a movement — both in Oakland locally, as well as across the Democratic Party.

A note to the new administration

We have one overarching request: please focus on efficiency and outcomes.

Facing a $130M budget deficit, Mayor-elect Lee has repeatedly said we will need to cut services to close that gap. But Oakland is already struggling to provide the essential services that its residents and business desperately need.

This isn’t just about how much we spend. It’s about how we spend it.

In our view, the city budget of $1.7B is enough to successfully deliver public safety, paved roads, and clean streets — but that’s only if we tackle the massive inefficiencies in our public safety apparatus, our city government, and our city laws.

By running a more efficient government, Oakland can deliver more services at lower cost. We are seeing similar approaches pay off in San Francisco and San Jose, where mayors Daniel Lurie and Matt Mahan are delivering better outcomes for their residents, despite their own budget challenges.

Final thoughts

It’s important to remember that Empower Oakland’s first major election campaign was just 6 months ago. In that short time, we’ve catalyzed a movement of tens of thousands of residents, united by the belief that Oakland deserves better — and can do better.

We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished. And we’ve still got a lot of work ahead of us.

With the election behind us, we want to continue to engage Oaklanders so they are better informed about what’s happening across our city. Keep an eye out for events and meetups with city leaders in the coming weeks and months.