Oakland City Councilmember Sheng Thao has thrown her hat into the ring in the race for mayor of Oakland.
Thao on Wednesday announced her candidacy during a campaign event in West Oakland with the support of California Attorney General Rob Bonta, and several other local politicians and organizations.
"As Mayor of Oakland, I will bring the same determination and relentlessness that has defined my entire life, to move Oakland forward," Thao wrote in a Twitter thread. "And nobody will fight harder for Oakland."
Thao cited her upbringing, as the child of refugees and the 7th of 10 siblings living in Stockton as a large influence on her decision to pursue a career in public service. Thao is a domestic violence survivor, and put herself through school, eventually earning a legal degree from UC Berkeley as a single mother. "I understand what families worry about every day," she wrote.
She was elected to the City Council in 2018, representing District 4, which includes Montclair, Oakmore, and other neighborhoods. Thao is the first Hmong American woman to be elected to a City Council in California and the first in Oakland.
In her campaign launch, she cited specific issues such as homelessness and public safety in particular, that Oakland has been struggling with.
"Today, with Oakland facing serious challenges, I feel an even more urgent calling to serve and lead this city. We have a lot of work to do. But Oakland is worth fighting for. And I believe Oakland's time is now," she wrote.
Current Mayor Libby Schaaf will be leaving her position next year as she completes her second term – Oakland mayors can only serve twice.
The Oakland mayoral race currently has three candidates, including Thao.
One is fellow City Councilmember Loren Taylor, of District 6, which includes neighborhoods in East Oakland.
The other is homelessness advocate Derrick Soo, who announced his candidacy in 2019 on Facebook.
The election will be held in November 2022.
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