Support for Recall Of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao Grows As Election Day Nears

On Monday, newly released campaign finance documents have shown that the recall of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao is more and more likely to succeed, with  pro-recall supporters having raised over five times the amount as Thao has.

Since being elected as Mayor in the closest Mayoral election in city history in 2022, violent crimes have skyrocketed in Oakland. 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, and other issues coming up such as continued homeless issues,  the firing of the police chief LeRonne Armstrong, and Thao’s failure in trying to keep the Oakland Athletics from relocating to Las Vegas, residents began calling for her recall last year.

The petition grew this year, and earlier this summer, Thao was slammed with multiple political blows. In mid-June, the Alameda County Registrar of Voters announced 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. An FBI raid on her home, and her subsequent outburst, fueled more voters to sign the petition.

By August, calls for her to resign grew, while polls showed that more and more in Oakland supported her recall. A poll that came out showed that she had a 69% disapproval rating, with 56% of Oakland voters supporting her recall. In the next few months, support for her recall remained high. All the while, Thao has fought tooth and nail against the recall, saying in response to the recall effort “I have the best job in the world. That’s because every day I have a chance to fight for a safer, more affordable, and more prosperous Oakland. I ask all Oaklanders to help me achieve that vision with hope and collaboration and push aside fear and division. Let’s bring our community together to fight for the City we love.”

However, numerous people have come forward in favor of her recall in recent days, including former Mayor Libby Schaaf. Compounding that this week was the release of campaign finance documents. In them, Thao and her supporters have been found to have raised $117,000 this year. Meanwhile, recall supporter group Oakland United to Recall Sheng Thao (OUST) has raised over $600,000 alone, with other groups getting more money than Thao as well. While the majority of funds for the recall have been donated through a few individuals, such as hedge fund partner Philip Dreyfuss, volunteers and campaigners have largely been a volunteer force, angered at what Thao has done as Mayor.

“Money coming in is great, but most of us against her would still be out here holding signs or organizing against her regardless of money,” explained Alonzo Reed, a recall supporter who had originally voted for Thao. “We know where the money is coming from and we know some people may have different reasons for wanting Thao out. But we’ve heard from some rich donors who said that they agree with our points too. They want to save Oakland with us. And like any campaign, you can put money into it, but you need dedicated workers to make sure things get done. It’s a two way street.

“It’s like how things improved across the Bay when Boudin was removed. And also, if people really wanted to save Thao, she would be swimming in campaign funds. There would be rallies with hundreds, thousands of people. That just hasn’t happened for her.”

Final polls are not expected before the election next week.