The 2025 Oakland mayoral special election was held on April 15, 2025, to elect the next mayor of Oakland, California, following the recall of mayor Sheng Thao in November 2024.
City Council president Nikki Fortunato Bas served as interim mayor until January 6, 2025, when she resigned to take a seat on the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. Fellow city councilor Kevin Jenkins then took over as interim mayor. The filing period for mayoral candidates lasted from December 23, 2024, to January 17, 2025. The winner of this election will complete Thao's current term and will be up for re-election in 2026. The election used ranked-choice voting.
Multiple media and news organizations called the race for Barbara Lee on April 18, three days after the election. While Lee carried the majority of the cityâÂÂs neighborhoods, Loren Taylor outperformed in the Oakland Hills, which the San Francisco Chronicle described as "OaklandâÂÂs whitest, wealthiest and most economically conservativeâ neighborhoods, and which also had the highest turnout rate in the election.
After nine rounds of ranked-choice tabulation, Barbara Lee led Loren Taylor by over 5,000 votes. Taylor conceded the race on Saturday, April 19.
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