Viola Gonzales
Viola Gonzales was a candidate for District 5 of the Oakland City Council in California. She was defeated in the general election on November 8, 2016.[1]
Although city council elections in Oakland are officially nonpartisan, Gonzales is known to be a member of the Democratic Party.[2]
Biography
Gonzales holds a B.B.A. in economics from St. Mary's University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.[3]
From 2011 to 2016, she was the chief executive officer of the AnewAmerica Community Corporation, an organization that provides business training to new Americans, women, minorities, and low to moderate income workers. Her professional experience also includes work as the executive director of the Latino Community Foundation, the executive director of the Latino Issues Forum, the chief operating officer of the Spanish Speaking Unity Council, and the executive director of the Oakland YWCA.[3]
Campaign themes
2016
Gonzales participated in Ballotpedia's 2016 survey of municipal government candidates. The following sections display her responses to the survey questions. When asked what her top priority would be if elected, the candidate made the following statement:
| “ | Community economic development to create jobs in all areas of our city:
-Support policies that help local businesses grow. Create jobs by encouraging self-employment, micro enterprise development, business revitalization and larger business development |
” |
When asked what she would most like to change about the city, the candidate made the following statement:
| “ | Oakland can welcome new ideas with open-mindedness and respect and should not only speak of tolerance, but be tolerant.[4][5] | ” |
When asked what she is most proud of about the city, the candidate made the following statement:
| “ | Oakland is a city that gives opportunity to all people, from all walks of life. It deserves to be well-managed so that we see and feel the value of our tax dollars.[4][5] | ” |
Ranking the issues
The candidate was asked to rank the following issues by importance in the city, with 1 being the most important and 12 being the least important. This table displays this candidate's rankings from most to least important:
| Issue importance ranking | |
|---|---|
| Candidate's ranking | Issue |
| Crime reduction/prevention | |
| Housing | |
| Transportation | |
| Civil rights | |
| Unemployment | |
| K-12 education | |
| Homelessness | |
| Government transparency | |
| City services (trash, utilities, etc.) | |
| Environment | |
| Public pensions/retirement funds | |
| Recreational opportunities | |
Positions on the issues
The candidate was asked to answer four questions from Ballotpedia regarding issues facing cities across America. The questions are in the left column and the candidate's responses are in the right column:
| Question | Response |
|---|---|
| Very important | |
| Local | |
| Increased economic opportunities | |
| Focusing on small business development |
Additional themes
Gonzales' 2016 campaign website highlighted the following issues:[6]
| “ |
|
” |
Elections
2016
The city of Oakland, California, held elections for city council in 2016. Five of the eight city council seats were up for election. Incumbent Noel Gallo defeated Viola Gonzales in the general election for the District 5 seat on the Oakland City Council.[7]
| Oakland City Council District 5, General Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Noel Gallo Incumbent |
56.03% | 7,775 |
| Viola Gonzales | 43.25% | 6,002 |
| Write-in votes | 0.71% | 99 |
| Total Votes | 13,876 | |
| Source: Alameda County Registrar of Voters, "Certified Election Results," accessed December 1, 2016 | ||
Endorsements
Gonzales received endorsements from the following in 2016:[8]
- Oakland Police Officers' Association
- Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf
- Former Oakland Mayor Elihu Harris
- Former Oakland City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente
- Former Alameda County Superintendent of Schools Sheila Jordan
- Port of Oakland Commissioner Arabella Martinez
- Former Oakland Board of Education Member Kerry Hamill
- Former Port Commissioner Anthony Batarse
- Former Port Commissioner Gilda Gonzales
- Former Port Commissioner and Planning Commissioner Kenneth Katzoff
- Former Port Commissioner Bryan Parker
- Former Port Commissioner Zack Wasserman
- Contra Costa Community College District Governing Board Member John Marquez
- Hayward City Councilmember Mark Salinas
- Former Peralta Community College District, Measure A Citizens' Bond Review Oversight Committee Member Eduardo Jimenez
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Gonzales and her husband have two children.[1]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Viola Gonzales Oakland. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Oakland, California
- Municipal elections in Oakland, California (2016)
- United States municipal elections, 2016
External links
- Campaign website
- Social media
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Vote Viola, "Who I Am," accessed September 20, 2016
- ↑ Asian Pacific American Democratic Caucus of Alameda County, "2016 Endorsement Questionnaire," accessed September 20, 2016
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 LinkedIn, "Viola Gonzales," accessed September 20, 2016
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Ballotpedia's municipal government candidate survey, 2016, "Viola Gonzales's Responses," October 31, 2016
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Vote Viola, "My Goals," accessed September 20, 2016
- ↑ Alameda County Registrar of Elections, "Candidate List," accessed September 22, 2016
- ↑ Vote Viola, "Endorsements," accessed September 20, 2016
| |||||||||||||||||
 |
State of California Sacramento (capital) |
|---|---|
| Elections |
What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures |
| Government |
Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy |
