Who will be interim mayor of Oakland? That's a more open question now as City Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas announced victory in her bid to become an Alameda County supervisor.
Bas announced victory Friday in the District 5 race for Alameda County Supervisor, saying that she had received a phone call from her main opponent, Emeryville City Councilmember John Bauters, conceding the race. As NBC Bay Area reports, this concession came despite there still only being 415 votes separating the two candidates as of the last tally on Wednesday, November 20.
There are reportedly 4,800 ballots left to count across the county which all have signature issues, and it's not clear how many of those ballots are from District 5. But Bauters clearly doesn't see the math being on his side, and Bas seized on the concession phone call to say, "Please join me in thanking John for his years of public service and a hard-fought campaign," Bas said. In these challenging times, we should all continue to welcome ideas, visions, and solutions for our communities to consider and rally around."
Join me in thanking John Bauters for his years of public service and a hard-fought campaign. The issues and needs facing our beloved East Bay are complex, dynamic, and challenging. It will take all of our hard work, together — and I will be a Supervisor for all of us. pic.twitter.com/0Py80yEawO
— Nikki Fortunato Bas (@Nikkiforallofus) November 22, 2024
Bas had already declared victory last Wednesday, saying on X, "I will bring an unflagging commitment and engage the community to serve every resident by expanding affordable housing and effective solutions to homelessness, accessible healthcare, good jobs, and safe communities."
The District 5 seat was an open seat in this election, with longtime County Supervisor Keith Carson announcing his retirement after 32 years on the board.
Bas's move to the county board — which will still need to be confirmed in a final vote count update on December 3 — creates a complicated set of political circumstances for Oakland City Hall.
As president of the Oakland City Council, Bas would have become interim mayor after Thao's loss in the recall election is certified by the county early next month. Now, the council will have to wait for Bas's victory to be confirmed, then it will need to elect a new president, who will simultaneously serve as mayor until a special election can be held. It's not clear what the procedure will then be to fill Bas's council seat, representing Oakland's District 2, until a special election can be held for that.
Holding the mayoral special election alone is estimated to cost as much as $5 million, as KTVU reports. And this comes at a moment when Oakland is facing a $93 million budget shortfall.
As NBC Bay Area notes, there is no law preventing Sheng Thao from running again for mayor in the special election, should she choose to do so.
Photo via nikki4supervisor.com
