Oakland is picking a mayor again, and this time the field is much smaller. In the April 2025 special election there were 10 candidates; on the Nov. 3 ballot there are four, The Oaklandside reports. Mayor Barbara Lee, who won that special election to replace recalled Mayor Sheng Thao, is running for a full four-year term against three challengers who have never held elected office.

Who is running

  • Barbara Lee, the incumbent, mayor since May 2025 and a former longtime member of Congress.
  • Brenda Grisham, a business owner and longtime community advocate.
  • Mindy Pechenuk, an educator and researcher who Bay City News describes as a serial candidate.
  • Julius Robinson, a former bank executive who works in community investment.

Oakland uses ranked-choice voting, so voters can rank the candidates in order of preference. Thao, who lost the 2024 recall, is now on trial in federal court on corruption charges, Bay City News notes.

Public safety

Crime dominated a League of Women Voters forum at City Hall on Oct. 3 that drew about 40 people, Oakland North reported. Lee said crime is down but there is more to do, and pointed to Measure NN, the 2024 parcel tax that raises $47 million a year for police, fire, 911 dispatch and violence prevention and requires a minimum police staffing level. "I want to make sure that we continue our efforts to recruit more police officers, to get to the 700 mandated by Measure NN," she said.

Robinson called public safety "the bedrock of all economic development." Pechenuk said drug activity has held back East Oakland and that the city has to "go after the open-air markets."

The budget and taxes

Oakland has a long history of deficit spending, and this year it closed its budget gap with money from the sale of the Coliseum, according to Oakland North. Lee said the city needs to fix its structural deficit so it isn't in crisis every year. "We don't spend what we don't have," she said. She cited a balanced budget without layoffs and the sale of $337 million in infrastructure, housing and transportation bonds.

Grisham said the city should seek money from philanthropy and state and federal agencies rather than raise taxes. "We cannot continue to tax our people," she said. Robinson also opposes new taxes but said grants aren't a lasting fix; he wants to cut waste and draw businesses and visitors. Pechenuk pointed to businesses and sports teams that have left and said Oakland should recruit new employers, data centers and manufacturers and speed up permits.

Why the mayor's job could change

The winner may hold a stronger office than Lee does now. Measure EE, a charter rewrite on the same ballot, would make the mayor the city's chief executive with a line-item budget veto. Voters also decide Measure FF on foreclosure transfer taxes and three council seats, including the District 2 race.

Key dates

  • 11-day vote centers open: Oct. 24
  • Last day to request a mail ballot: Oct. 27
  • Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 3

Find every Oakland and Alameda County contest in our Election 2026 guide.