Oakland News: Mayor’s Race Now Has 16 Candidates; Green Party Rep Blasted

This Oakland News is shocking: The Oakland Mayor’s Race, which had 13 candidates as recently as just less than two weeks ago, now has a whopping 16 candidates. Yes, the City of Oakland officially lists 16 candidates as having filed for the Oakland Mayor’s Race. Again, officially filed.

here’s my first video listing the first 13 candidates:

And the following names have been added to it, according to the City of Oakland:

Bane Capital Ruby Paige Askew (I am not kidding)
Jesse E. Smith
Sammuel Washington

So this is what the total list of names looks like:

Bryan Parker
Libby Schaaf
Joe Tuman
Oakland Mayor Jean Quan
Patrick McCullough
Dan Siegel
Nancy Sidebotham
Courtney Ruby
Gregory Wade
Bane Capital Ruby Paige Askew (I am not kidding)
Jesse E. Smith
Sammuel Washington
Peter Liu
Margaret Wrigley-Larson
Charles Ray Williams
Jason “Shake” Anderson

That is a true record. I reported that 13 candidates was a record, but actually that number was matched in 2010. This time, it’s larger.

Take note: you have until June to file papers to run for Mayor of Oakland, so my guess is this list is going to get longer. It may reach as many as 20 names before we go about the process of the November election.

Don MacCleay Sends Message To Shake Anderson

Don MacCleay, who ran for Mayor of Oakland as the Green Party representative in 2010, is a supporter of Jason “Shake” Anderson, but has some pointed words for him and that he expressed to me in our video talk Friday: “I think he has a lot to learn,” Don said. And then he went on to say that while Shake is a great speaker, he could be a better writer, and more accessible to the media. Here’s a small video clip of my long talk with Don:

And here’s the long talk with Don:

Bryan Parker’s New Commercials, Ad Push

Bryan Parker’s starting to put his hard-raised, Oakland Mayor’s Race-pack-leading campaign funds to work, with a new set of Internet-based computers. Even this blogger’s Oakland-oriented YouTube videos are running short versions of his longer, two-minute video that is a touching biography about the man. Here it is:

Oakland City Council District Two Race Adds Kevin Blackburn

The City of Oakland has officially added Kevin Blackburn’s name to the list of people running for the Oakland City Council District Two Seat. We now have Dana King, Andrew Park, Sokhom Mao, Michael Colbruno (who has not dropped out as he said he would), and Kevin Blackburn. Abel Guillen was supposed to meet with me on Friday, but then pushed that time to next week. With all of that, Mr. Guillen still hasn’t filed his papers to run. If he did, that would push the list to six candidates.

Anne Campbell Washington Interview Coming

Anne Campbell Washington, the former Chief Of Staff to Oakland Mayor Jean Quan who announced she’s running for the Oakland City Council District Four Seat, met me for a great video interview last weekend. She’s asked that I hold off posting it until after she officially files her papers.

Sokhom Mao Interview Done Saturday, Coming Soon

I had the pleasure of interviewing Sokhom Mao on Saturday, and as part of a 20-minute video, I learned the candidate for the Oakland City Council District Two Seat was the product of foster homes. Mr. Mao, who said his father was in and out of jail for a time, and is now with friends, and his mother passed on when he was nine years old, had to grow up and fast. Whatever the outcome of the election, Sokhom Mao has done an amazing job just to get this far in life, and Oakland’s a better place for his being involved in our city.

Kevin Blackburn is an Assistant Vice President with The Federal Home Loan Bank.

And to date, I’ve interviewed and uploaded video on Mr. Park and Ms. King. Here are those interviews, and they’re long, so sit down with a good plate of food and enjoy:

Andrew Park:

Dana King, Part 1 and Part 2:

Stay tuned.