Oakland – Rebecca Kaplan has retained her At-Large seat on the Oakland City Council. With unofficial results showing her with a lead, her opponent called her this morning to concede the race congratulating her on her new term on the Council.
Also congratulating Kaplan on her victory was Councilmember Nikki Bas who said, “Congratulations to my friend and colleague. No one is more qualified for this position than Rebecca who has been solving neighborhood issues from securing more funds to combat illegal dumping to improving air quality with cleaner trains, trucks and cranes and the free Broadway Shuttle. She is a champion for public safety and police accountability, developing civilian responses to mental health crises, pushing for gun control and authoring the current ballot measure to strengthen the independence of the civilian Police Commission. Her track record shows she will represent everyday Oaklanders across the city and stand up to billionaire bullies who don’t want to play fair or pay their share. I look forward to our continued relationship and to our vital work on the Council to move Oakland forward.”
BART Board Director Lateefah Simon stated, “Congratulations to Councilwoman Kaplan on running a principled and hard-fought race. I have no doubt that alongside her colleagues she’ll work fearlessly to bring home resources and advance how we all experience safety and justice in Oakland.”
Liz Ortega-Toro, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Alameda Labor Council added, “Oakland City Councilmember At-Large Rebecca Kaplan has been a strong voice for working families. On every important issue, Rebecca has been a leader. Her victory will ensure that Oakland addresses the issues faced by families struggling to build better lives.”
Liz Suk with Oakland Rising Action stated, “Rebecca Kaplan is a proven advocate for racial and economic justice – her wide array of initiatives to improve the quality of life, jobs, and safety throughout the city speaks to her values of equity and justice. In the face of major opposition from corporations like Lyft and developers, this is a big win for Oakland! We are excited to work with Rebecca to build on her impressive track record of progressive policy wins in Oakland.”
And Michael Colbruno, Port Commissioner and LGBTQ+ leader, said, “Oakland voters decisively showed that they want to continue the spirited, innovative and effective policies led by Council President Kaplan. Her victory also shows that voters will reject negative, character smearing campaigns and always opt for positive and productive dialogue and policies that better our communities.”
Rebecca is grateful for all of the support and the trust that Oakland voters continue to place in her to move Oakland forward. “This victory shows that Oakland is not for sale. Billionaire bullies and their $500,000 in expenditures against me were no match for Oakland voters and the trust placed in me by the community. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues on the important issues facing our city.”
Both Measure QQ, the youth vote initiative and Measure S1, police oversight, that Rebecca was honored to author are winning. For more election results please visit the Alameda County Voter Registrar’s website.