Leading Oakland mayoral candidates make final push before Election Day
As November 8 Election Day approaches, KPIX 5 offers a series of reports highlighting the candidates as well as measures and issues affecting voters.
OAKLAND -- Many Oakland residents believe the city is in a crisis of rising crime and homelessness.
On Tuesday, they'll be voting for a new mayor to tackle those problems. It's a packed race with 10 candidates. KPIX caught up with the top four candidates on Sunday as they canvassed neighborhoods seeking votes.
All four said they're focused on crime and homelessness.
East Oakland council members Loren Taylor and Treva Reid are moderate democrats who have formed an alliance. Ignacio De La Fuente is an old-school Democrat who's coming out of retirement and councilwoman Sheng Thao is considered the progressive candidate.
"I'm the unity candidate in the sense that I have the strong support of my council colleagues," Thao said.
Councilwoman Thao said she will focus on violence prevention and intervention and will make sure police have the resources to fight crime.
"We need a change. People are dying for a change and so, therefore, I am that change agent," Thao said.
Councilman Taylor said his track record of getting things done is why people should vote for him.
"I'm focused on delivering results over rhetoric, making progress instead of just playing progressive politics," Taylor told KPIX.
He said that, in addition to providing more resources for youth, he'll hire more cops to address violent crime.
"Voting for Loren Taylor, number one, will ensure that Oakland does move forward, addressing the tough challenges," Taylor said.
Councilwoman Reid said all the other candidates can talk but her personal experience is why she's dedicated to fighting crime.
"Public safety comes from just a deeply personal place ... We lost our son Brandon to gun violence in 2013 -- Halloween night. So, long before I came on city council, I've been fighting to keep other people's children safe," councilwoman Reid said.
She said she'll work with the community and the police to bring crime under control.
"We've been at multiple churches this morning with the big push for 'souls to the polls' with a lot of our faith leaders here," Reid said.
Former council president De La Fuente said he's tired of the shootings and the lawlessness in Oakland. That's why he's back from retirement.
"I'm the person with experience, the background and the political backbone to get the city back on track," De La Fuente said.
He blames city leaders for failing to enforce existing laws.
"I'm going to enforce the law. I'm going to hire more police officers, train them, give them the political backing to do their job," De La Fuente said.
All four candidates admit that changing Oakland won't be easy and will take time.
