Current:Home > ScamsVoters in Oakland oust Mayor Sheng Thao just 2 years into her term-InfoLens
Voters in Oakland oust Mayor Sheng Thao just 2 years into her term
View Date:2024-12-23 06:30:06
Follow AP’s coverage of the election and what happens next.
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Voters in Oakland, California, have ousted Mayor Sheng Thao just two years after she narrowly won office to lead the liberal San Francisco Bay Area city.
The Associated Press called the race Monday.
“Thank you for choosing me to serve as your Mayor. As the first Hmong American woman to become the mayor of a major American City, it has been the honor of my lifetime,” she said in a statement last week.
She committed to ensuring a smooth transition.
Thao must vacate the office as soon as election results are certified Dec. 5 and the Oakland City Council declares a vacancy at its next meeting, which would be Dec. 17, Nikki Fortunato Bas, City Council president, said in a statement.
A special election for a new mayor will be held within 120 days, or roughly four months.
Until then, Bas — as president of the City Council — would serve as interim mayor unless she wins a seat on the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. As of Monday, Bas was trailing in that race.
Thao was elected mayor in November 2022 and became the first Hmong American to lead a major city. She faced criticism almost immediately after taking office for firing popular Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong. Frustrated voters, including the local NAACP, blamed Thao for a long list of city woes related to public safety, homelessness and the city’s budget.
In her statement, Thao said she was proud of her administration’s accomplishments.
Thao was not the only official booted from office in Tuesday’s election. Pamela Price, district attorney for Alameda County, which includes Oakland, also was ousted by voters in a recall election. Critics of both Thao and Price disagreed with the officials’ progressive politics.
Thao went into Tuesday’s election weakened by an FBI raid in June of her home — along with properties owned by a politically influential family that controls the city’s recycling contract. Thao has maintained her innocence and authorities have not said what they are investigating.
Oakland uses a ranked choice voting system that allows voters to list multiple choices in order of preference. Thao narrowly beat Loren Taylor in 2022 despite getting fewer first-place votes than Taylor.
Oakland has about 400,000 residents and is, at times, more politically liberal than San Francisco. It is Vice President Kamala Harris’ hometown.
In recent years, Oakland has lost three professional sports franchises, including Major League Baseball’s Oakland Athletics. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has sent state highway patrol officers, state prosecutors, and surveillance cameras to help Oakland battle crime.
veryGood! (7)
Related
- Democratic state leaders prepare for a tougher time countering Trump in his second term
- 3 dead in firefighting helicopter crash after midair collision with 2nd helicopter
- Minnesota 14-year-old arrested in shooting death of 12-year-old
- At least 3 killed in shooting on D.C. street
- Maryland man wanted after 'extensive collection' of 3D-printed ghost guns found at his home
- Coco Gauff becomes first player since 2009 to win four WTA tournaments as a teenager
- Austria's leader wants to make paying with cash a constitutional right
- Grappling with new law, fearful Florida teachers tossing books, resellers say
- Biden, Harris participate in Veterans Day ceremony | The Excerpt
- A simpler FAFSA is coming for the 2024-25 school year. Here's what to expect.
Ranking
- MVSU football player killed, driver injured in crash after police chase
- NASCAR suspends race at Michigan due to rain and aims to resume Monday
- Opera singer David Daniels and husband plead guilty to sexual assault of singer
- Bryson DeChambeau claims first LIV tournament victory after record final round
- Jana Duggar Reveals She's Adjusting to City Life Amid Move Away From Farm
- Bryson DeChambeau claims first LIV tournament victory after record final round
- Beyoncé Pays DC Metro $100,000 to Stay Open an Extra Hour Amid Renaissance Tour Weather Delays
- Gunfire at Louisiana home kills child, wounds 2 police and 3 others
Recommendation
-
My Chemical Romance returns with ‘The Black Parade’ tour
-
California authorities capture suspects in break-ins at Lake Tahoe homes: a mama bear and three cubs
-
8-year-old Chicago girl fatally shot by man upset with kids making noise, witnesses say
-
Sales-tax holidays are popular, but how effective are they?
-
Rita Ora pays tribute to Liam Payne at MTV Europe Music Awards: 'He brought so much joy'
-
Penguins acquire 3-time Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Erik Karlsson in a trade with the Sharks
-
8-year-old Chicago girl fatally shot by man upset with kids making noise, witnesses say
-
Suddenly repulsed by your partner? You may have gotten 'the ick.' Here's what that means.