2024 Oakland and Alameda County
General Election Results

We are with you. A week since the election, we at Oakland Rising Action are riding the waves of fear, rage and sadness.

This election was not what any of us wanted for our communities. But we are here, and we are together – in grief and in determination to protect what we love.

We take comfort that here in the Bay Area and in California, we are part of a powerful network of movement organizations who have been preparing for this moment. While billionaires, corporations, and bullies have attempted to use the election to pit working people against each other, we know that when we include everyone – no matter what they look like or where they come from – we create stronger communities.

Every ballot matters in California.

While it is clear that hedge fund billionaire Philip Dreyfus and San Francisco investor Ron Conway succeeded in ousting Mayor Sheng Thao and District Attorney Pamela Price, we residents of the city of Oakland did vote in favor of reducing the impact of big money going forward.

With the passage of Measure OO, public ethics oversight will be strengthened. New rules will limit gifts from lobbyists, address commissioner conflicts of interest, and ensure capacity to implement voter-approved programs like Democracy Dollars. Good governance requires good oversight, so this is one important step forward.

By passing Measure NN, we Oaklanders of different races and different places renewed an existing measure that funds violence reduction services & community policing. The measure will also establish a new commission to oversee violence reduction plans for Oakland and ensure funds are used effectively.

We are also celebrating the election of Ryan Richardson to the role of City Attorney. Ryan’s platform emphasizes transparency, accountability, and protecting the rights of all Oakland residents. We are heartened that he has a deep commitment to justice and an understanding of the law’s power to effect positive change.

We congratulate Councilmember Carroll Fife and School Board Director Van Cedric Williams on their re-elections. We celebrate Zac Unger to the role of Councilmember for District 1 and Rachel Latta to the role of School Board Director for District 1. We look forward to working with each of them towards equity, justice, and protection for all of our residents and all of our schoolchildren.

In addition to the billionaire-bought recalls of Mayor Thao and District Attorney Price, we are disappointed by the defeat of Jovanka Beckles for California State Senate.

We are also angry that Target, Walmart, and other big retailers successfully bought the passage of Prop. 36, which will roll back progressive criminal justice reform at the state level. And we are broken hearted at the failure of Prop. 6, which would have banned forced prison labor.

This election was a tough one. It is a reminder that we must be even bolder and join together across our differences against the billionaires, bullies, and bigots to chart a better future for all of us.

Oakland Rising Action’s long-term agenda has prepared us for this moment and the road ahead. No matter who is in power, we forward a vision of Oakland that realizes our shared dreams of health, happiness, safety, and opportunity for all.

This is the moment to unite our power to build on our past victories, defend our communities, and organize TOGETHER to advance our vision of a California where everyone without exception can thrive.

In Solidarity,

Pecolia Manigo
Interim Executive Director
Oakland Rising Action