More Than a Dozen Vie for Oak. Mayor

And they're off and running!

Thirteen candidates have entered the field for mayor of Oakland.

Wednesday was the final day residents could submit formal papers signaling their intentions to run.

The crowded field is topped by former state Senate President Don Perata, and Oakland City Council members Jean Quan and Rebecca Kaplan.

Other candidates include KCBS political analyst and San Francisco political communications professor Joe Tuman, Peralta Community College District Trustee Marcie Hodge, businessman Greg Harland, and Donald Macleay, a machinist who has been endorsed by the Green Party.
Also in the race, an insurance agent, a couple of real estate agents, an educator, and a market researcher.

This year, for the first time, Oakland will employ a ranked choice voting system.

That means, instead of just voting for one person for each office, voters will rank their top three choices.

If no candidate gets 50 percent of the vote, election officials will stage an instant runoff in which they will examine voters' second and third choices in order to determine a winner.

The election is November second.