Oakland mayoral candidates Barabara Lee, Loren Taylor go head-to-head on debate stage
OAKLAND — For more than 90 minutes, Oakland's two top candidates for the open mayoral seat — former Congresswoman Barbara Lee and former Oakland City Councilmember Loren Taylor — went head to head in a live debate.
"This moment demands leadership and it demands the ability to bring different sectors of our community together to get the job done," Lee said.
"Business as usual politics will not work. It will continue to fail us. We have to do something different. We need a new approach and we need new leadership," Taylor said.
From public safety concerns to the city's budget deficit to the pending sale of the Coliseum, the two candidates laid out their vision for the city.
Lee focuses on her ties to Congress and established relationships with federal, state and local leaders, saying those connections will help bring more resources to Oakland.
"It's important that we know this administration. It's important that we sound the alarm and it's important that we fight to get every dollar we can find here into Oakland and again I'm proud of the support I have from the chair of the appropriations committee in Sacramento, Buffy Wicks," Lee said. "We need to have allies you can pick up the phone and call and say, 'Donald Trump is doing this. We need to have the state step up.' "
Taylor, on the other hand, called for a changing of the guard, saying that local boots-on-the-ground leadership is necessary to pull the city out of its current state.
"We've got to step up as a city. We've got to operate more effectively and efficiently. That means we have to have someone who understands the details of how we work," Taylor said. "We can't just come and be a delegator. We have to be able to roll up sleeves, go deep, understand what is and isn't happening, hold folks accountable, as I said earlier, make those hard and necessary choices."
One of the more fiery exchanges came when the candidates were asked their opinion of former mayor, Sheng Thao, and the successful recall effort against her.
"Oaklanders have to be centered. That's my commitment. That's why there's resistance against my campaign and why my opponent has been recruited by some of those same backers of Sheng Thao to run," Taylor said.
"I just want to say this is a campaign and I am proud of the support that I have, from supporters of the recall of Sheng Thao and opponents of the recall of Sheng Thao," Lee said.
The night ended with each candidate making their case to the voters, each saying they were the one who could lead Oakland to a brighter future.
"One of the comments was I was a flash from the past but I'm really proud of my past and I'm really proud of what I've been able to do. And we need a flash, some light shown on this city," Lee said.
"Above all of that, I am a father raising kids here in Oakland and I am committed to making sure that our city is a city that we are proud to leave to the next generation and not the one that we have right now," Taylor said.
