Former State Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata Endorses Bryan Parker For Oakland Mayor
OAKLAND (KCBS) — Just six days before the election, one candidate won a key endorsement on Wednesday in the race for Mayor of Oakland from the man who finished second the last time around.
Don Perata, the man many thought would have been elected Mayor of Oakland in 2010, is endorsing Port Commissioner and businessman, Bryan Parker, for mayor against incumbent Jean Quan and the rest in a field of 15 candidates.
Perata, the retired former president pro tempore of the California State Senate, finished first in the last election, but lost the ranked-choice voting instant runoff to Quan. He said that Parker's lack of elective office experience is a plus.
"I believe Bryan is the right person at the right time to leave the city of Oakland. I'm proud to endorse him. I encourage all of those who supported me in the last election to consider him," Perata said.
Alongside Perata at his office in Orinda, where he moved after losing the mayor's race, Parker said he was grateful for the support.
"Humbled is the first word that comes to mind. I think this is a man in many Oaklander's minds that should have been our mayor right now, Parker said.
Perata blasted ranked-choice voting calling the system "absolutely silly". He said he would rank former KPIX, KCBS political analyst Joe Tuman second and council member Libby Schaaf third.
Schaaf has won the endorsement of Governor Jerry Brown and Senator Barbara Boxer. Council member Rebecca Kaplan leads most polls and you shouldn't count incumbent candidate Jean Quan out just yet.