November 9th 2024.
The race for the Berkeley mayor seat has been a close one, with Councilmember Sophie Hahn and nonprofit consultant Adena Ishii vying for the position. The latest figures from Alameda County show that Hahn currently has a slight lead over Ishii, with only 1,081 votes separating them. However, there are still thousands of ballots left to be counted, so the final outcome is yet to be determined.
The Hahn campaign expressed their gratitude for the ongoing support from voters, which they believe reflects the community's confidence in Hahn's vision for Berkeley. They acknowledged that there are still many ballots to be counted and remain focused and optimistic as the process unfolds.
Both Hahn and Ishii have campaigned on similar goals, such as expanding Berkeley's housing options, improving city infrastructure, and addressing public safety concerns. However, they have different approaches to achieving these objectives. Hahn has highlighted her experience and readiness to lead from day one, while Ishii has positioned herself as a fresh face and a unifying force on the city's governing body.
Ishii expressed her gratitude to all those who voted for her and stated that she is eagerly awaiting the remaining ballots to be counted. She also emphasized her commitment to serving the city of Berkeley and addressing the issues that are important to the community, regardless of the final outcome of the race.
Other candidates who ran for mayor include former District 4 Councilmember Kate Harrison, Logan Bowie, and Naomi Pete. Berkeley uses a ranked-choice voting system, so the candidate with the lowest number of votes will be removed from the running, and the ballots will be retabulated until a candidate receives over 50% of the vote. As of now, Harrison has the third-highest number of votes.
Harrison, who was first elected to represent District 4 in 2017, resigned from the position in 2024, citing concerns with the city's "broken" process. Despite this, she continued her bid for mayor, running on a platform of transparency and accountability in city government, fair contributions from UC Berkeley and developers, and addressing issues such as public safety, infrastructure, and housing and homelessness.
Harrison's departure from the council was followed by the resignation of former District 7 Councilmember Rigel Robinson, creating two vacancies that were filled by Igor Tregub and Cecilia Lunaparra. Hahn's mayoral bid also created another vacancy on the council, which is currently being led by Zoning Adjustment Board Member Shoshana O'Keefe, with 76% of the vote against Todd Andrew, chair of the Solano Avenue Business Improvement District Advisory Board.
Additionally, a fourth new council member will be named to replace retiring District 6 Councilmember Susan Wengraf. Small business owner Brent Blackaby is currently leading against Andy Katz, a member of the East Bay Municipal Utility District Board of Directors, with 62% of the vote.
In the meantime, Councilmembers Terry Taplin and Ben Bartlett are both leading in their reelection bids. The winner of the mayoral race will take the place of current Mayor Jesse Arreguín, who is currently leading in his bid for state Senate against former Richmond Councilmember and current AC Transit Board Director Jovanka Beckles.
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