Barbara Lee has a big one on her side. She announced Thursday morning that former Vice President Kamala Harris — once a colleague of Lee’s in Congress — has endorsed her run for reelection as Oakland’s mayor.
“Barbara Lee has spent her life fighting for the people who too often get left out and left behind, and as Mayor, she is delivering for Oakland with the urgency, courage and integrity this moment demands,” Harris said, according to a press release from Lee’s camp.
“From expanding affordable housing and improving public safety to investing in young people and protecting immigrant communities, Mayor Lee knows how to bring people together, get results and stand up to attacks on our values,” she said.
In a press release touting her own accomplishments on crime, affordable housing, and illegal dumping, Lee said she’s “deeply honored” by Harris’ support.
The politicians have a history of boosting one another. Lee was a California co-chair of Harris’ 2020 campaign for president, and again endorsed her 2024 eleventh-hour, and ultimately unsuccessful, run after Joe Biden dropped out.
Harris has deep ties to Oakland and the broader Bay Area. She spent most of her childhood in Berkeley, lived in Oakland as a young adult beginning her career in the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, and later served as San Francisco DA.
And Harris has proven popular in the East Bay. About 75% of voters in Alameda County filled in a ballot bubble for Harris in 2024.
Grisham, Pechenuk, Robinson highlight endorsements, too
Harris may be the highest-profile endorser in the Nov. Oakland mayoral election so far, but numerous other politicians, community leaders, and local organizations have also made their preferences known in the race. And we’re likely to see more stamps of approval in the coming weeks.
Lee’s reelection website lists dozens of endorsements, highlighting those from State Sen. Jesse Arrreguín, five former Oakland mayors, several labor unions including SEIU 1021 and the Oakland firefighters’ union, and more.
Brenda Grisham, a public safety advocate challenging Lee, has five detailed endorsement letters, mainly from local businesspeople, published on her website.
Oakland-raised rapper Kamaiyah penned one.
“After enduring the unimaginable loss of her child to gun violence, Brenda chose to turn her grief into purpose — fighting tirelessly to make sure no other family has to suffer the same pain,” she wrote. “Her vision centers on real solutions: investing in prevention, strengthening community resources, and creating safer neighborhoods where our children can thrive.”
Candidate Mindy Pechenuk’s website highlights three endorsements: from state controller candidate Herb Morgan, the GOP Union Caucus, and former State Sen. Mike Morrell.
“Oakland deserves accountability, transparency, and real fiscal leadership,” Morgan wrote in a social media post. “Mindy will clean up City Hall.”
Candidate Julius Robinson doesn’t appear to have a campaign website or public endorsement list.
But Oakland gadfly Gene Hazzard is backing him. Hazzard wrote a blog post supporting Robinson and sharing a detailed resumé for the candidate.
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