Bid to Recall Oakland Mayor Gains Enough Signatures to Make November Ballot

Mayor Sheng Thao at City Hall in Oakland, Calif., on Feb. 15, 2023. Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group via AP

The effort to recall Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao has moved forward, as the Alameda County Registrar of Voters confirmed June 18 that proponents had garnered sufficient signatures.

Oakland United to Recall Sheng Thao (OUST) submitted more than 40,000 petitions ahead of the July 22 deadline, with the intent to place the recall on the November ballot.

“This historic achievement marks the first recall in Oakland’s history, with over 40,000 Oakland voters signing with a sense of urgency and purpose to recall this dishonest and incompetent mayor,” said OUST President Brenda Harbin-Forte, a retired Alameda County Superior Court judge, in a statement sent to The Epoch Times.

The City Council will discuss the next steps of the recall at a July 2 meeting. Under state law, a special election could be held 88 days from the date sufficient signatures are determined, but the recall is more likely to be placed on the November ballot to minimize costs.

Adding to the mayor’s troubles, FBI agents raided her home June 20, though it was unclear what prompted the search.

The recall petitions submitted to the city surpassed the 24,644 valid signatures required, according to the organization.

“It shows that people want her gone,” Seneca Scott, one of the key organizers and a former mayoral candidate, told The Epoch Times.

“It’s not simply a job performance issue, it’s about her integrity, her competence, her missing the retail [theft] grant, her bankruptcy of the city’s budget. ... It’s just all too much.”

Oakland United to Recall Sheng Thao President Brenda Harbin-Forte speaks during a press conference in front of the City Hall in Oakland, Calif., on June 19, 2024. Courtesy of Chris Moore

The state made available $240 million in retail-theft grant money to cities that applied, but the city auditor found, “Oakland prepared but did not successfully submit an application.”

According to the Oakland Police Department, violent crime rose 21 percent in 2023 from the previous year, with robberies increasing 40 percent overall and residential robberies surging 71 percent. The city also experienced a notable increase in car thefts in 2023, with nearly 15,000 vehicles stolen. Additionally, about 14,000 vehicle break-ins were reported last year.

“Thao’s actions have pushed Oakland to the brink, but the community is saying, ‘No more. We want Thao gone,’” Ms. Harbin-Forte said.

Despite the June 10 police report showing a 33 percent decrease in the overall crime rate compared to a year ago, critics argue this decline is due to a reduction in reporting of smaller crimes. Notably, residential robberies have increased by 87 percent, and unspecified burglaries have surged by 175 percent compared with the first half of 2023.

Gov. Gavin Newsom touted the drop in crime after the report was released.

“These results are a clear and concrete example of the effective partnership with state, local, and federal law enforcement in Oakland and the surrounding East Bay,” Mr. Newsom said in a June 11 statement.

Ms. Thao, who won her election in 2022 with 50.3 percent of the vote, vowed to tackle public safety issues in the city.

“Our collaborative work exemplifies good governance in action. ... [We] are seeing a decrease in crime across the board in Oakland,” the mayor said June 11 on X following Mr. Newsom’s comment. “While these early numbers are encouraging, we still have a lot of work to do to ensure everyone feels safe in our beautiful city.”

Ms. Thao’s office did not respond to The Epoch Times’ requests for comment.