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Sheng Thao recall, Oakland, California (2024)
| Sheng Thao recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
| Recall status |
| Recall election date |
| November 5, 2024 |
| Signature requirement |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2024 Recalls in California California recall laws Mayoral recalls Recall reports |
An election to recall Mayor Sheng Thao took place on November 5, 2024, in Oakland, California.[1] Voters recalled Thao by a margin of 60.6%-39.4%. This was the first time in the city's history that a mayor was successfully recalled.[2]
Governing's Joshua Spivak wrote this election, along with the recall of Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price also on November 5, "were in part launched due to pushback against approaches to crime and the criminal justice system, with organizers arguing both Thao and Price have failed to stem the tide."[3]
Gail Harbin, a representative of the group Oakland United to Recall Sheng Thao, criticized Thao over her handling of crime. Harbin said, "Under Mayor Thao’s watch, crime has surged, and her incompetence has only deepened the chaos."[4] Former Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf (D), who supported the recall, said in an interview that "Oakland can’t afford another two years of continued damage to our fiscal solvency and our public safety."[5] Critics also cited a June 20 home raid by the FBI as a reason for the recall. The San Francisco Chronicle wrote in an editorial supporting the recall, "While Thao hasn’t been charged with any crime relating to the FBI raid and has vehemently denied wrongdoing, compounded distrust among Oakland residents could hamper her ability to govern effectively."[6]
Thao called the recalls against her and Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price "a waste of money." Thao said, "The undemocratic part about it is that democratically, [public officials] were elected at large, and they were voted in. It’s unfair for someone with more money than others to come in and say, 'You know what? I want to change the trajectory.'"[7] Former Oakland Mayor Jean Quan said at a rally, "Whether you love Sheng or not, we have to give her a chance to do some good work."[8] In a news conference, Thao highlighted her record handling crime and said "by reinstating proven programs like Ceasefire, strengthening partnerships with law enforcement agencies...and investing in modern public safety technology, we’re seeing meaningful results for Oakland residents."[9]
Recall vote
Sheng Thao recall, 2024
Sheng Thao lost the Mayor of Oakland recall election on November 5, 2024.
Recall Vote |
% |
Votes |
|||
| ✖ | Yes |
60.6
|
86,535 | ||
No |
39.4
|
56,220 | |||
Total Votes |
142,755 | ||||
|
|
Noteworthy endorsements
This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes a bulleted list of links to official lists of endorsements for any candidates who published that information on their campaign websites. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please click here.
Recall question
This section lists media, elected officials, individuals, and organizations that announced support or opposition for the recall of Thao after the signature filing deadline.
| Noteworthy endorsements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Endorsement | Yes, Recall | No, Don't Recall |
| Newspapers and editorials | ||
| The East Bay Times[10] | ✔ | |
| The San Francisco Chronicle[6] | ✔ | |
| Elected officials | ||
| City Councilmember Carroll Fife[11] | ✔ | |
| City Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan[11] | ✔ | |
| City Councilmember Dan Kalb[11] | ✔ | |
| U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee (D)[12] | ✔ | |
| State Sen. Nancy Skinner (D)[12] | ✔ | |
| Individuals | ||
| Former Superior Court of Alameda County justice Brenda Harbin-Forte[13] | ✔ | |
| Former Mayor Libby Schaaf (D) [5] | ✔ | |
| Former City Councilmember Loren Taylor[11] | ✔ | |
| Former Mayor Jean Quan[8] | ✔ | |
| Organizations | ||
| Alameda County Democratic Party[14] | ✔ | |
| IFPTE Local 21[15] | ✔ | |
| NAACP Oakland[16] | ✔ | |
| Nor Cal Carpenters Union[17] | ✔ | |
| Oakland Chinatown Improvement Council[18] | ✔ | |
| SEIU Local 1021[15] | ✔ | |
Recall supporters
A notice of intent to recall Thao was sent by former Alameda County Superior Court Judge Brenda Harbin-Forte. The notice stated that Thao created a public safety crisis by systematically dismantling the Oakland police department, delaying the police department's exit from federal oversight, and missing a deadline for a state grant to fight retail theft. Crime rates in the city were also cited as grounds for the recall.[19]
The official website for the official recall campaign Oakland United To Recall Sheng Thao stated:[20]
| “ | "You created a public safety crisis by systematically dismantling the Oakland Police Department, leading to the city's reputation as one of the most dangerous in America. Your unjust termination of Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong resulted in a surge of serious and violent crimes, delayed OPD’s exit from 20 years of federal oversight, and extended the time Oakland must continue paying a federal monitor $1 million each year. You admittedly missed a deadline to apply for a grant to combat retail theft. You failed to implement Oakland's Encampment Management Policy, leading to open-air drug markets and chop shops, making Oakland a national leader in stolen cars. You have made numerous misleading and untrue statements to the public. You failed to keep your promise to appoint a new police chief or declare a state of emergency. In short, you lack the competency, credibility, judgment and ability to lead what was once a great American city.
Lives have been lost, property destroyed, businesses have shut down, and fear and collective trauma are daily occurrences for Oaklanders. We, the concerned citizens, therefore demand your recall for the sake of our city's future."[21] |
” |
Recall opponents
Thao issued a statement in response to the recall effort.[22]
| “ |
I have the best job in the world. That's because every day I have a chance to fight for a safer, more affordable, and more prosperous Oakland. I ask all Oaklanders to help me achieve that vision with hope and collaboration and push aside fear and division. Let's bring our community together to fight for the City we love.[21] |
” |
The official campaign against the recall, Oaklanders Defending Democracy wrote on their website:[23]
| “ | The recall effort against Mayor Sheng Thao not only threatens Oakland’s progress but risks plunging the city into political chaos at a critical time. Under Mayor Thao’s leadership, Oakland is finally turning the corner on pressing issues such as crime, homelessness, and economic recovery. However, this recall threatens to undo the strides we’ve made, jeopardizing the city’s future at a time when stable, consistent leadership is more important than ever.
If Mayor Thao is recalled, Oakland could see up to three or four different mayors leading the city before stable leadership is restored. This revolving door of leadership would disrupt ongoing efforts to tackle Oakland’s most urgent challenges. Additionally, the city is grappling with a decade-old structural deficit that threatens to cut vital public safety resources. Inconsistent leadership could leave critical services underfunded and undermine progress in keeping our communities safe. The financial cost of the recall is staggering. At an estimated $10 million, this recall would not only drain resources that could be better spent on addressing crime, homelessness, and economic recovery but also impose an immense burden on Oakland taxpayers. These funds would cover the costs of running a special election and transitioning Mayor Thao's administration to a new leader—an expense the city can ill afford during this critical recovery period. Oakland needs steady, experienced leadership to navigate these challenges, and this recall threatens to derail that stability. Instead of pushing the city toward progress, it would create political chaos, disrupt ongoing efforts, and waste millions of taxpayer dollars. Oaklanders deserve consistent leadership that can build on the work already in motion, not political turmoil that sets the city back.[21] |
” |
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in California
No specific grounds are required for recall in California. The recall process starts with a notice of intention to recall. The notice must be served to the officer whose recall is being sought as well as published in a newspaper of general circulation. The notice must then be filed with the relevant election office. Once the notice has been deemed sufficient by the election office, a petition must also be filed and approved by the election office. Once the petition is approved, it can be circulated. To get a recall on the ballot, supporters must collect signatures from registered voters in the jurisdiction. The number of signatures required is between 10% and 30% of registered voters in the jurisdiction, depending on the size of the jurisdiction. Jurisdictions with 1,000 registered voters or fewer require 30%, and jurisdictions with 100,000 or more registered voters require 10%. Charter cities can also set their own signature threshold. The amount of time allowed for the circulation of recall petitions also varies by the number of registered voters in a jurisdiction, between 40 and 160 days. Jurisdictions with fewer than 1,000 registered voters allow 40 days, and jurisdictions with more than 50,000 registered voters allow 160 days.[24]
Recall organizers were required to submit about 24,644 valid signatures to put the recall against Thao on the ballot. On June 5, 2024, organizers announced that they had submitted about 40,000 signatures for verification.[25] On June 14, 2024, Alameda County Registrar of Voters Tim Dupuis found that enough signatures were valid to put the recall on the ballot.[1]
Recall context
- See also: Ballotpedia's Recall Report
Ballotpedia covers recall efforts across the country for all state and local elected offices. A recall effort is considered official if the petitioning party has filed an official form, such as a notice of intent to recall, with the relevant election agency.
The chart below shows how many officials were included in recall efforts from 2012 to 2024 as well as how many of them defeated recall elections to stay in office and how many were removed from office in recall elections.
Election history
2022
See also: Mayoral election in Oakland, California (2022)
General election
General election for Mayor of Oakland
The ranked-choice voting election was won by Sheng Thao in round 9 . The results of Round are displayed below. To see the results of other rounds, use the dropdown menu above to select a round and the table will update.
|
Total votes: 125,522 |
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 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
See also
- Mayoral election in Oakland, California (2025)
- Recall campaigns in California
- Political recall efforts, 2024
- Mayoral recalls
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Oaklandside, "Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao will face recall election," June 18, 2024
- ↑ The San Francisco Chronicle, "Oakland voters oust Sheng Thao in unprecedented mayoral recall," November 8, 2024
- ↑ Governing, "Oakland Voters May Remove Both Their Mayor and the D.A.," October 28, 2024
- ↑ KTVU, "What to know about the Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao recall election," October 8, 2024
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 KQED, "Former Mayor Libby Schaaf Endorses Recall of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao," October 18, 2024
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 The San Francisco Chronicle, "Endorsement: Sheng Thao’s repeated fumbles have cost her Oakland’s trust. And ours. She should be recalled," October 29, 2024
- ↑ Politico, "11 questions for Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao," October 16, 2024
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 The Oaklandside, "Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and supporters rally against recall," October 7, 2024
- ↑ Times-Herald, "In an Oakland election that revolves around crime, the last month has provided an October surprise," October 30, 2024
- ↑ The East Bay Times, "Editorial: Recall Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao," October 10, 2024
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 The Oaklandside, "Election grab bag: elected officials mostly against Oakland mayor recall," October 25, 2024
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 KTVU, "Congresswoman, California senator oppose recalls of Oakland mayor, DA," October 11, 2024
- ↑ The East Bay Times, "Retired judge leading recall against Oakland mayor enters race to be city attorney," June 25, 2024
- ↑ San Francisco Chronicle, "Alameda County Dems will formally oppose Sheng Thao, Pamela Price recalls," September 13, 2024
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 The Oaklandside, "Who are Oakland’s unions backing in this election," October 29, 2024
- ↑ CBS News, "Oakland NAACP chapter joins push to oust Mayor Sheng Thao in recall election," October 7, 2024
- ↑ KTVU, "Union backs Thao recall; as recall opponents blast wealthy donor," October 30, 2024
- ↑ KQED, "Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and Chinatown Leaders Ramp Up Anti-Recall Campaign," October 15, 2024
- ↑ KGO, "Recall campaign of Oakland Mayor Thao officially launched with notice of intent sent," January 7, 2024
- ↑ Recall Sheng Thao, "Homepage," accessed November 1, 2024
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ CBS News, "New recall effort targets Oakland mayor Sheng Thao," January 5, 2024
- ↑ Oaklanders Defending Democracy, "The Recall Threat," accessed November 1, 2024
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Recall Procedures Guide 2023," accessed October 16, 2023
- ↑ KRON, "Recall campaign seeking to oust Oakland Mayor Thao submits signatures," June 5, 2024
