Rebecca Kaplan

Last updated
Pamela Rosin
​
​
(m. 2014;div. 2019)​
Rebecca Kaplan
Rebecca-Kaplan (3x4a).jpg
Member of the Oakland City Council
At-large District
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 6, 2009
Alma mater Massachusetts Institute of Technology (BS)
Tufts University (MA)
Stanford University (JD)
Website Government website

Rebecca Dawn Kaplan (born September 17, 1970) is a Canadian-born American attorney and politician who has served as an at-large member of the Oakland City Council since 2009. She is a member of the Democratic Party.

Contents

Born and raised in Ontario, Kaplan has degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Tufts University, and Stanford University. She moved to Oakland in the 1990s, where she served as a legislative aide and housing rights attorney. After an unsuccessful run for Oakland City Council in 2000, Kaplan was appointed to and later elected to an at-large seat on the AC Transit Board of Directors in 2002.

Kaplan was elected to an at-large seat on the Oakland City Council in 2008. She was the youngest and first openly LGBTQ+ member of the Oakland City Council. She unsuccessfully ran for mayor in 2010 and 2014 and has served one stint as council president and two stints as vice mayor.

Kaplan is a candidate for the Alameda County Board of Supervisors to fill the seat of Wilma Chan.

Early life, education, and career

Rebecca Kaplan was born on September 17, 1970, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. [1] She was raised in Hamilton, Ontario, and attended the Hamilton Hebrew Academy and the Community Hebrew Academy of Toronto. [2] Her childhood was marked by stories of social justice and workers' rights, which inspired her to pursue a career in public service. [3]

Kaplan moved to the United States in the 1980s to attend college. She has a bachelor of science in psychology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where, as an undergraduate student, she participated in a group that led the school to divest from apartheid in South Africa and adopt sexual non-discrimination policies. [4] [5] She was also awarded an academic honor from Phi Beta Kappa. She later earned a master of arts in urban and environmental policy from Tufts University and a juris doctor from Stanford University. [6]

Kaplan got her start in politics by volunteering on Ted Kennedy's re-election campaign in 1994. After moving to Oakland in the mid-1990s, Kaplan became a legislative aide in the California State Assembly. She later worked for Prisoner Legal Services and practiced law as a housing rights attorney and as a labor attorney with the San Francisco-based firm Altshuler Berzon. [4]

Kaplan unsuccessfully ran for the Oakland City Council in 2000 as a member of the Green Party, [7] but was a Green when elected to the AC Transit Board in 2002 [8] and 2006. [9] She joined the Democratic Party in 2008. [10]

Political career

AC Transit Board of Directors

Following the resignation of board president Matt Williams in 2002, Kaplan was appointed to his at-large seat on the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit Board of Directors. She served the remainder of Williams' term and was elected to a term in her own right later that year.

As an AC Transit director, Kaplan expanded late-night bus services, improved opportunities for walking and biking, and helped the district bring in its first hydrogen fuel cell buses. [6] [3] She was re-elected in 2006 and resigned in 2008 after being elected to the Oakland City Council.

Oakland City Council

Kaplan in July 2010 Rebecca Kaplan in July 2010.jpg
Kaplan in July 2010

Kaplan was elected to an at-large seat on the Oakland City Council in 2008. She was the youngest and first openly LGBTQ+ person elected to public office in Oakland. [11] [6]

Kaplan was unanimously elected to serve as vice mayor in 2021 and currently holds that position. She previously served as council president from 2019 to 2021 and also served a one-year stint as vice mayor from 2015 to 2016.

Kaplan was a candidate for mayor of Oakland in 2010 and 2014, coming in third place and second place, respectively. [1]

Budget-balancing measures

In 2009, Oakland's budget shortfall ran into the tens of millions, and as a solution, Kaplan proposed Measure F, which raised taxes on medical cannabis businesses. The measure, which dramatically increased taxes on these businesses, was strongly supported by the businesses themselves, and overwhelmingly passed in a special election. Kaplan received national media attention from this initiative, appearing on PBS's NewsHour and Fox Business Network to discuss it. Three other ballot measures, also campaigned for by Kaplan, were passed in a successful effort to balance the year's budget.

Vacant building registration

In 2009, Kaplan redesigned a failed council measure by Desley Brooks to require owners of certain vacant properties to register their buildings with the city after Oakland's vacancy problem had led to rampant use of empty buildings for illegal activities. Kaplan's version of the measure passed by a wide margin.

Cutting ties with ICE

In August 2017, two Oakland police officers provided traffic assistance to ICE agents as Homeland Security investigations served a federal search warrant in West Oakland regarding a human trafficking investigation that involves children leading to the detainment of two men, neither ever having been convicted or charged with a crime. [12] [13] Fearing that residents would experience a chilling effect from the incident and would be less willing to call on police for support, Kaplan proposed a resolution upholding the city's sanctuary city status by stipulating that the Oakland Police Department be prevented from colluding and assisting with ICE. [14] The resolution passed unanimously. [12]

Vacant parcel tax

In 2018, Kaplan championed the vacant parcel tax in Oakland in an effort to resolve Oakland's growing homeless problem. The tax is levied on Oakland's property owners with unused and vacant residential & commercial properties. It took the form of Measure W, which passed on the November ballot.

Oakland Athletics

In 2019, Kaplan contributed to an effort to sue Alameda County over the approved $85 million sale of the land currently housing the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum (currently RingCentral Coliseum) and Oakland Arena to the Oakland Athletics. [15] The city argued it was not given a real opportunity to buy the county's share of the land, despite Oakland not having adequate money to purchase the site. [16] The plan the Athletics put forward includes major revitalization projects at both the Howard Terminal and Coliseum sites, including the construction of affordable housing, restaurants, retail, small business space and public gathering spaces. [17]

Due to the abrupt nature of the lawsuit and the fact that the plan was backed by city leaders, Athletics president Dave Kaval said the team was "completely blindsided" and "very disappointed" by the city's lawsuit. [15] Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf stated, "Our city and county governments should work with each other, not against each other. I hope the council suspends this suit so we can all collaborate together on a beneficial future for the Coliseum." [15] Oakland city councilmember Larry Reid stated that MLB commissioner Rob Manfred told Oakland leaders that "Bay Area fans will soon be going to Las Vegas to see the Raiders and that unless things changed, Bay Area fans may be going to Las Vegas or elsewhere to see the A’s as well." [16]

A few weeks after the lawsuit was filed, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law two bills, AB1191 and SB293, designed to move the new Howard Terminal ballpark forward.

2022 Alameda County supervisor election

Kaplan is a candidate for the Alameda County Board of Supervisors in the 3rd district. She placed first during the primary and advanced to a runoff with former Alameda vice mayor Lena Tam. [18]

The seat was previously held by Wilma Chan, who died in 2021 after being struck by a motor vehicle. [19]

Personal life

Kaplan came out at age 16. She has been identified as both bisexual and a lesbian in the press and also identifies as gender nonconforming. [2]

Kaplan married Pamela Rosin in 2014 after two years of dating. The couple separated in 2018 and finalized their divorce in 2019. [20]

Kaplan is Jewish. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oakland, California</span> City in Alameda County, California, United States

Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the most populous city in the East Bay, the third most populous city in the Bay Area, and the eighth most populous city in California. It serves as the Bay Area's trade center: the Port of Oakland is the busiest port in Northern California, and the fifth- or sixth-busiest in the United States. A charter city, Oakland was incorporated on May 4, 1852, in the wake of the state's increasing population due to the California gold rush.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alameda County, California</span> County in California, United States

Alameda County is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,682,353, making it the 7th-most populous county in the state and 21st most populous nationally. The county seat is Oakland. Alameda County is in the San Francisco Bay Area, occupying much of the East Bay region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oakland Coliseum</span> Sports stadium in Oakland, California

The Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum is a multi-purpose stadium in Oakland, California, United States. It is part of the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Complex, with the adjacent Oakland Arena, near Interstate 880. In 2017, the playing surface was dedicated as Rickey Henderson Field in honor of Major League Baseball Hall of Famer and former Athletics left fielder Rickey Henderson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Bates</span> American politician (born 1938)

Thomas H. Bates was the 21st mayor of Berkeley, California, and a member of the California State Assembly. Bates is married to Loni Hancock, another former mayor of Berkeley and State Assembly member who served in the California State Senate. He is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley and was a member of the Golden Bears' 1959 Rose Bowl team. Bates was a captain in the United States Army Reserves after graduating from college and served in Germany. He worked in real estate before serving on the Alameda County Board of Supervisors and in the state legislature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Perata</span> American politician (born 1945)

Don Richard Perata is a California lobbyist and former Democratic politician, who was President pro tempore of the California State Senate from 2004 to 2008. He came in second place in the November 2010 election for Mayor of Oakland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oakland Ballpark</span> Proposed baseball stadium in Oakland, California

Howard Terminal Ballpark was a proposed baseball stadium to be built in the Jack London Square neighborhood of Oakland, California. If approved and constructed, it would have served as the new home stadium of the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB), replacing the Oakland Coliseum. The 34,000-seat stadium was the last of several proposals to keep the Athletics in Oakland. The site is currently a parcel of land owned by the Port of Oakland. After securing the site, the Athletics planned to have the stadium built and operational after the team's lease expired at the Oakland Coliseum in 2024.

The Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Authority is a joint powers agency established by the City of Oakland and the County of Alameda to manage and finance improvements to the 120-acre (490,000 m2) Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Complex on behalf of the City and the County. The complex is home of the Oakland Coliseum and the Oakland Arena.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oakland Coliseum station</span> Rail station in Oakland, California, US

The station complex of Amtrak's Oakland Coliseum station and Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART)'s Coliseum station is located in the East Oakland area of Oakland, California, United States. The two stations, located about 600 feet (180 m) apart, are connected to each other and to the Oakland Coliseum/Oakland Arena sports complex with an accessible pedestrian bridge. The BART station is served by the Orange, Green, and Blue lines; the Amtrak station is served by the Capitol Corridor service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilma Chan</span> American politician (1949–2021)

Wilma Chan was an American politician in California serving on the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. A Democrat, she served in the California State Assembly from 2000 to 2006 before being termed out, representing the 16th District, which at the time included Oakland, Alameda, and Piedmont. She served as Assembly Majority Whip from 2001 to 2002 and from 2002 to 2004 as Assembly Majority Leader, the first woman and the first Asian American to hold the position. In 2008, Chan lost a Democratic Party primary election for the California State Senate District 9 seat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ignacio De La Fuente</span> American politician

Ignacio De La Fuente is a former Oakland City Councilmember. He was also the President of Oakland's City Council until January 2009, when he became vice mayor of Oakland. De La Fuente was an unsuccessful candidate for mayor of Oakland in 1998, 2006, and 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carole Ward Allen</span> American politician and artist

Carole Ward Allen is an American politician, professor, and political consultant. She is a member of the Democratic Party, and serves as the chief executive officer of CWA Partners, LLC. As a mass transportation executive in the State of California, Ward Allen served three four-year terms as an elected member of the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District Board of Directors representing the 4th district from 1998 until 2010.

Alameda Health System (AHS), formerly Alameda County Medical Center (ACMC), is an integrated public health care system organized as a public hospital authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Libby Schaaf</span> American politician (born 1965)

Elizabeth Beckman Schaaf is an American politician who served as the 50th Mayor of Oakland, California from 2015 to 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served on the Oakland City Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oakland City Council</span>

The Oakland City Council is an elected governing body representing the City of Oakland, California.

Stephen H. Cassidy is an American attorney and politician who served as the mayor of San Leandro from January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Oakland mayoral election</span>

The 2014 Oakland mayoral election was held on November 4, 2014 to elect the mayor of Oakland, California. It saw the election of Libby Schaaf, who unseated incumbent mayor Jean Quan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Oakland mayoral election</span>

The 2010 Oakland mayoral election was held on November 2, 2010, to elect the mayor of Oakland, California, electing Jean Quan to be their mayor. In early August 2010, incumbent mayor Ron Dellums announced that he would not be seeking reelection to a second term. In November 2010, Oakland also instant-runoff voting to elect its mayor, three city council races and four other local offices, with the elections for the mayor and Oakland council district four requiring multiple rounds of counting. Oakland used instant-runoff voting in the city's remaining elected offices in 2012. IRV was again used in 2014 and 2016, including in the 2014 mayoral election in which incumbent Jean Quan was defeated by Libby Schaaf.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1998 Oakland mayoral election</span>

The 1998 Oakland mayoral election was held on June 2, 1998, to elect the mayor of Oakland, California. It saw the election of Jerry Brown, the former and future governor of California, as mayor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Oakland mayoral election</span>

The 2022 Oakland mayoral election was held on November 8, 2022, to elect the mayor of Oakland, California. Incumbent mayor Libby Schaaf was term-limited. Sheng Thao won the election and was inaugurated as mayor in January 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheng Thao</span> American politician (born 1985)

Sheng Thao is an American politician who is the 51st and current mayor of Oakland, California. She is the first Hmong American mayor of a major city in the United States. She was elected as mayor of Oakland in November 2022 and started her term in January 2023. On November 5, 2024, Thao was recalled. She is the first mayor in Oakland’s history to be recalled.

References

  1. 1 2 Manuel, Nigel (2014-11-03). "Mayoral candidate: Rebecca Kaplan". Oakland North. Retrieved 2022-10-18.
  2. 1 2 3 Stutman, Gabe (2019-10-18). "Oakland City Council's Rebecca Kaplan preaches Torah, progressive politics". J. Retrieved 2022-10-18.
  3. 1 2 "About Supervisor Kaplan". Rebecca Kaplan for Alameda County Supervisor. Retrieved 2022-10-18.
  4. 1 2 Toledo, César. "Kaplan, Rebecca". LGBTQ Victory Fund. Retrieved 2022-10-18.
  5. ↑ "About Rebecca Kaplan". Kaplan for Oakland. Retrieved 2022-10-18.
  6. 1 2 3 "Councilmember At Large Rebecca Kaplan". City of Oakland. Retrieved 2022-10-18.
  7. ↑ "S/R 22: Why We Run (Rebecca Kaplan)". www.greens.org. Retrieved 2022-10-18.
  8. ↑ "Rebecca Kaplan Runs for Transit Board, 2002 – GPUS Elections Database" . Retrieved 2024-04-03.
  9. ↑ "Rebecca Kaplan Runs for Transit Board, 2006 – GPUS Elections Database" . Retrieved 2024-04-03.
  10. ↑ Rebecca Kaplan on switching parties , retrieved 2022-10-18
  11. ↑ "LGBT in Oakland: How Far We've Come, and Our Next Steps". San Francisco Bay Times. 2015-03-11. Retrieved 2022-10-18.
  12. 1 2 "Oakland cuts ties with ICE in response to controversial raid". East Bay Times. 2018-01-17. Retrieved 2018-02-06.
  13. ↑ "Human trafficking probe leads to federal search warrant at West Oakland home". 16 August 2017.
  14. ↑ "Oakland City Council Passes Kaplan's Resolution to Cut Ties with ICE". Oakland Post. 2018-01-19. Retrieved 2018-02-06.
  15. 1 2 3 Matier, Phil; Ravani, Sarah (1 October 2019). "Oakland's curveball: City sues county over plans to sell Coliseum site to the A's". San Francisco Chronicle.
  16. 1 2 Becker, Jon (6 October 2019). "Report: MLB commissioner warns Oakland it could lose A's". The Mercury News.
  17. ↑ "A's plans for Howard Terminal ballpark, Oakland Coliseum project". NBC Sports Bay Area. 1 January 2019.
  18. ↑ "Kaplan, Tam appear headed for runoff in Alameda County supervisor race". The Mercury News. 2022-06-13. Retrieved 2022-10-18.
  19. ↑ Ravani, Sarah (2022-06-08). "Rebecca Kaplan leads field as Alameda County supervisor race heads toward runoff". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2022-10-18.
  20. ↑ "Oakland council prez Kaplan, wife divorced last fall". Seattle Gay News. Retrieved 2022-10-18.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.