2024 Oakland mayoral recall election

2024 Oakland mayoral recall election

←  2022 November 5, 2024 2025 (special)  →
Shall Sheng Thao be recalled (removed) from the office of mayor?
Results
Choice Votes % Yes 86,535 60.62% No 56,220 39.38% Valid votes 142,755 100.00% Invalid or blank votes 0 0.00% Total votes 142,755 100.00%
Results by consolidated precinct Yes (for recall):   50–55%   55–60%   60–65%   65–70%   70–75%   75–80%   >80% No (against recall):   50–55%   55–60%   60–65%   No votes
Mayor before election Sheng Thao Elected mayor Nikki Fortunato Bas (interim)

The 2024 Oakland mayoral recall election was a successful special recall election to remove Oakland mayor Sheng Thao from office less than two years into her first four-year term. It was held on November 5, 2024 concurrent with the statewide and nationwide general elections.

Background

Sheng Thao was elected mayor in 2022 with a margin of 0.6% after instant-runoff voting. Her administration attracted criticism for firing its Chief of Police in early 2023 following a report that the Chief mishandled internal investigations, ^[1] failing to submit an application for a $2 million retail theft prevention grant, ^[2] and blamed for Oakland's relatively high crime rate. ^[3] Thao's home was raided by the FBI in June 2024, reportedly as part of a corruption investigation into kickbacks to California Waste Solutions, a waste and recycling contractor, in return for 2022 campaign contributions. ^{[4] [5]}

In June 2024, the recall obtained enough signatures to be placed on the ballot alongside the recall of Alameda District Attorney Pamela Price. ^[6]

Former mayor Libby Schaaf ^[7] and former Oakland councilmember Loren Taylor ^[8] supported the recall, while U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Lee ^[9] and former mayor Jean Quan ^[10] opposed it. Piedmont resident and hedge fund manager Philip Dreyfuss contributed $605,000 to the recall campaign, and $200,000 to Price's recall. ^[11]

Results

2024 Oakland mayoral recall election

Choice	Votes	%
Yes	86,535	60.62
No	56,220	39.38
Total votes	142,755	100.00
Source: Alameda County Department of Elections [12]

References

1. "Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong fired, says he's 'deeply disappointed' by mayor's decision". KGO-TV . February 15, 2023. Retrieved December 25, 2024.
2. "Oakland officials missed application deadline for grant funds to combat organized retail theft - CBS San Francisco". CBS News . September 14, 2023. Retrieved December 25, 2024.
3. "Crime has surged in Oakland since pandemic, leveled off in San Jose, San Francisco". The Mercury News . September 8, 2024. Retrieved December 25, 2024.
4. BondGraham, Darwin; Wolfe, Eli (June 21, 2024). "What we know about the FBI's search of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao's home". The Oaklandside. Retrieved December 25, 2024.
5. "Oakland corruption probe: Duong family supported Sheng Thao to rake in taxpayer funds, prosecutors say". The Mercury News . December 10, 2024. Retrieved December 25, 2024.
6. Wolfe, Eli; BondGraham, Darwin (June 18, 2024). "Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao will face recall election". The Oaklandside. Retrieved December 25, 2024.
7. Shafer, Scott (October 18, 2024). "Exclusive: Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao Should Be Recalled, Libby Schaaf Says". KQED . Retrieved November 17, 2024.
8. BondGraham, Natalie Orenstein, Eli Wolfe, Darwin (October 25, 2024). "Election grab bag: elected officials mostly against Oakland mayor recall". The Oaklandside. Retrieved December 25, 2024.
9. "Congresswoman, California senator oppose recalls of Oakland mayor, DA". KTVU . October 11, 2024. Retrieved December 25, 2024.
10. "Mayor Thao rallies against recall, with help from a former Oakland mayor and other supporters – Election Coverage". elections.journalism.berkeley.edu. Retrieved December 25, 2024.
11. Wolfe, Eli (August 1, 2024). "Piedmont hedge fund exec has bankrolled the effort to recall Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao". The Oaklandside. Retrieved December 25, 2024.
12. "Alameda County Election Results". alamedacountyca.gov. Retrieved November 6, 2024.