Posts by Meg Tanaka
Election Day results: Unger leads Oakland City Council District 1
Oakland firefighter Zac Unger made a strong showing in early returns Tuesday, with more than three-quarters of the votes for the District 1 City Council seat at 9 p.m. He is running against Len Raphael, an accountant and owner of a bicycle store and auto repair shop, and Edward Frank, a homemaker led early in…
Read MoreElection Day results: strong support for Measure M in early returns
A tax that would fund wildfire prevention in Oakland was winning in early returns Tuesday night, with 70% of the votes. Measure MM would fund efforts in Oakland’s Wildfire Prevention Zone, an area most acutely at risk for wildfire damage, through an annual parcel tax of $99 per single-family home and $65 per multifamily unit…
Read MoreUPDATE: Richmond City Council races: Two of three RPA candidates still lead
The Richmond Progressive Alliance has held a majority on the City Council since 2020 and held at least half of the seats for the past 10 years. This year, there were three seats up for election, which has the potential to flip the council. Early returns showed two RPA candidates — incumbent Claudia Jiménez and…
Read MoreELECTION DAY COVERAGE: Richmond voters turn out for possible ‘historic’ outcome, with few lines at the polls
As polling wrapped up Tuesday night, Richmond voters talked about what issues swayed their vote. Gloria Space said her concern was about local rent control getting more affordable, low-income housing. “They need to focus on the reform of landlords, so tenants are not treated any kind of way,” she said. The need for affordable housing…
Read MoreELECTION DAY COVERAGE: Continuous updates from the polls in Oakland
While most of the attention on Election Day will focus on Vice President and East Bay native Kamala Harris’ attempt to make history and become the nation’s first woman president, Oakland North will focus on the races that will change the makeup of the Oakland City Council. Shortly after the polls open at 7 a.m.,…
Read MoreWould Prop. 36 reduce retail theft and drug offenses, or would it just punish harshly without deterring crime?
Despite claims and counterclaims by politicians, police officials and community groups about the direction of Oakland’s crime rate, one thing is clear: Many Oakland voters say they continue to feel unsafe when they are out shopping, dining at a restaurant, or even strolling around Lake Merritt. On Tuesday, California voters will decide on a new…
Read MoreINTERACTIVE MAP: Find a polling place near an Oakland BART station
BART will run its regular schedule across all 50 stations on Election Day, providing voters with a transit option to reach polling sites and ballot drop boxes. The agency said it aims to ensure smooth service for residents who rely on public transit to cast their ballots. “We are always excited to make it easier…
Read MoreIf Prop. 6 passes, California will join the list of states outlawing forced prison labor in recent years.
Shawna Lynn Jones died while fighting a fire that raged through the hills of Malibu in 2016. She was struck by a boulder and suffered major head trauma just over a month before she was due to be released from prison. “So that just is an extreme example of, like, what slavery can do in…
Read MoreFor the first time in Oakland history, teens vote for school directors. So what do they want changed?
Empty toilet paper rolls. Missing bathroom stall doors. Dirty sinks and desks. Those were among the top concerns identified by Oakland Unified School District students in a survey by their peers. This year, students hope a new form of leverage will push the district to fix things: their votes. As Oakland teens prepare to cast…
Read MoreA Q&A with Oakland District 5 City Council candidates, talking homelessness and crime
With just days left before Tuesday’s election, Oakland North interviewed the three candidates running for Oakland’s City Council District 5 seat. District 5 extends from the affluent streets of Park Boulevard to the industrial flatlands of International Boulevard. Incumbent Noel Gallo is running, along with candidates Erin Armstrong and Dominic Prado. Each responded to the…
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