Longtime congresswoman Barbara Lee has filed for a campaign account to run for mayor of Oakland, creating an immediate front-runner in the race to fill the vacancy left by the recall of Sheng Thao in November.
Lee, 78, has not confirmed if she will run in the April 15 special election to select Oakland’s next mayor. The deadline for declaring candidacy is Jan. 17.
Lee served in Congress for 26 years, representing an East Bay district that included the Alameda County cities of Oakland, Berkeley, and Alameda. She declined to run for reelection to mount an unsuccessful bid last year for the seat of the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
Lee’s candidacy for mayor has precedent. Her predecessor in Congress, Ron Dellums, became Oakland’s mayor after a long career in Washington, D.C.
Jerry Brown also used his tenure as Oakland mayor to restart his political career, culminating in two terms as governor.
Recently elected city council president Kevin Jenkins is serving as interim mayor in lieu of former Mayor Sheng Thao, who was recalled by voters after serving less than two years in office.
The winner of the April special election will complete the remainder of Thao’s term, through 2027.
Other declared candidates include former City Councilmember Loren Taylor, former Thao staffer Renia Webb, and Elizabeth Swaney, perhaps best known for her efforts to qualify and compete as a skier in the 2018 Winter Olympics.