Recall Election Of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao Approved for Ballot

The Alameda County Registrar of Voters announced late on Tuesday that enough signatures have been approved to officially put the recall vote against Mayor Sheng Thao on the ballot, with Thao becoming the first Mayor in Oakland history to ever face a recall election.

The recall effort, headed by the Oakland United to Recall Sheng Thao (OUST) group, officially began on January 7th when recall organizers submitted 250 signatures to serve as an intent to recall notice. Led by former Alameda County Superior Court Judge Brenda Harbin-Forte, OUST organizers have said that Thao needs to be recalled because of her efforts while Mayor leading to a rise in crime as well as eroding public safety. Since being elected as Mayor in the closest Mayoral election in city history in 2022, violent crimes have skyrocketed. In 2023,  burglaries shot up by 23%, with vehicle thefts jumping up by 45% and robberies up 38%. The murder rate also remained high, staying above 100 in a single year for yet another year in a row.

With many believing that Thao has not been addressing crime and public safety concerns, residents began calling for her recall. The notice of intent specifically noted  how the Oakland Police Department (OPD) has been hammered by Thao’s actions, that Thao has failed to declare a state of emergency in the city despite promising to do so and that Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong’s firing helped create a public safety crisis that has led to “the city’s reputation as one of the most dangerous in America”, with no replacement for Armstrong being picked yet. Other issues have included Thao’s failure to failure to keep the Oakland Athletics in Oakland and her missing the deadline to apply for a $15 million state crime grant.

After the notice of intent went out in January, organizers began collecting signatures the next month. For a recall to appear on the November ballot, 25,000 signatures need to be collected by July. Organizers and signature collectors from previous recalls also noted that a significant number of extra signatures would be needed, as many would likely be voided during the verification process because of double signatures, invalid information, and other issues. Last month, OUST said that enough signatures had been collected for the recall to reach the ballot, with the total number going in well before the July 2nd deadline being 41,530 despite only 25,000 needed to make it on the ballot.

This led to the Registrar’s announcement on Tuesday night that 40,590 of the 41,530 signatures had been approved, setting a new record in the County for least number of signatures rejected for a ballot initiative by percentage. The recall is to now go before Oakland voters. For the first time in city history, voters will decide on recalling their Mayor.

Thank you #Oakland.

With 40,595/41,530 signatures approved. That must be a record.

We did it, Thao will be on the ballot this November to be recalled. More to come. #RecallShengThao

— Oakland United to Recall Sheng Thao (OUST) (@RecallShengThao) June 18, 2024

“This historic achievement marks the first recall in Oakland’s history, with Oakland voters signing with a sense of urgency and purpose to recall this dishonest and incompetent mayor,” said OUST President Harbin-Forte on Tuesday. “Thao’s actions have pushed Oakland to the brink, but the community is saying, ‘NO MORE’. We want Thao gone.”

Seneca Scott, one of the lead organizers, added, “I think you’re going to see a different tune from the mayor’s administration. I think the numbers are clear, voters want Thao gone, voters want her gone. She demoralized the city. We trusted LeRonne Armstrong, we don’t trust Mayor Thao.”

As of Wednesday morning, Mayor Thao has yet to give a response to the recall making the ballot.

While the recall is expected to be on the ballot for November, it is not yet confirmed. The Oakland City Council will likely decide on an election date during the next City Council meeting on July 2nd.

Alameda County pollster Elena Sierra explained to the Globe on Wednesday that “They had way more than enough signature more than month before signatures were actually due. Voters are mad. And their supporters come from all over. They come from Loren Taylor supporters, many of which still think he was robbed in the 2022 election. They have Armstrong supporters, as we saw through OUST. They have Oakland A’s supporters who are mad that she lost the team. They have people who have been affected by crime. And that’s on the surface.

“They want her gone because they have seen her as doing nothing more than causing a ton of damage since being elected less than 2 years ago. And as Thao’s supporters have pointed out, she is running across the city trying to make herself look like the good guy and appear hardworking.”

Say what you will about @MayorShengThao but there is no doubt she is a hard-working mayor.

I see her everywhere hustling across the town, last week at a groundbreaking for senior housing in W Oakland & last night at a Skyline HS parent meeting to give the latest on…
1/4 pic.twitter.com/mq8eCUw5Js

— Sam Davis, OUSD Board President (@samdavis510) June 19, 2024

“But as we saw through those signatures and the recall making it on the ballot, voters have been seeing otherwise. This is not boding well for her.”

An election date for the recall is expected to be announced soon.