Oakland voters elect a mayor and three district council members on Nov. 3. The District 2 race is the most competitive. Districts 4 and 6 are quieter, and you'll only see them if you live there. Oakland uses ranked-choice voting, so you can rank up to five candidates even in a two-person race.
District 4: Janani Ramachandran, unopposed
District 4 covers Dimond, Oakmore, Glenview, Laurel, Redwood Heights, Montclair and nearby neighborhoods. Ramachandran, an attorney, was first elected in 2022. She chairs the council's Finance Committee. In her ballot statement she calls herself "a disruptor at Oakland City Hall" and lists public safety, paving, wildfire prevention and affordable housing as priorities. The Oaklandside notes she opposed linking the Coliseum deal to the 2024 budget.
District 6: Kevin Jenkins vs. Nancy Sidebotham
- Kevin Jenkins (incumbent) is the council president and served as interim mayor in early 2025. He was first elected in 2022 and was a Peralta Community College trustee before that. The district includes Eastmont, the Coliseum area, Millsmont and Merritt College. His statement lists endorsements from Mayor Barbara Lee, Rep. Lateefa Simon and state Sen. Jesse Arreguín.
- Nancy Sidebotham is a tax preparer and longtime community advocate. She ran for the at-large seat in 2016 and 2024 and for District 6 in 2022. Her statement points to her work on dog parks and neighborhood crime prevention and criticizes City Hall's transparency.
For the city's school board races, see our OUSD election guide.
How to vote
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls and vote centers close at 8 p.m., and mailed ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and arrive within seven days. You can check your registration and ballot status at sos.ca.gov/elections. California lets you register and vote the same day at a vote center. For more local races and measures, see our 2026 Bay Area election hub.