Grassroots groups and community organizers across Berkeley have formed Flip the Berkeley City Council 2026, a progressive coalition aimed at unseating incumbents and shifting local legislative policies in the upcoming November elections.

Some of Flip BCC’s campaign goals include establishing housing as a human right, maintaining rent control, protecting small businesses against upzoning, strengthening police accountability and limiting automated license plate readers such as Flock surveillance cameras.

“(They’re) not looking for solutions, just looking for surveillance,” said Paola Laverde, a Flip BCC steering committee member and a former chair on the Berkeley Rent Board, in reference to the Berkeley City Council’s decision to renew its contract with Flock Safety. 

Citing dissatisfaction with recent council decisions on mass surveillance, housing development and a lack of accountability to the public, the group is organizing, fundraising, training and mobilizing volunteers for its endorsed candidates across four council districts up for election this year.

The coalition brings together groups including Berkeley CopWatch, the Green Party of California, Friends of Adeline and the Berkeley Network for Palestine.

“It was a group of concerned people who are tired of going to the City Council and complaining and not getting any redress,” said Tim O’Brien, an organizer at Flip BCC. “The options were to keep banging your head against the wall or try to do something to change it.”

Coalition leadership explicitly excluded incumbents from endorsement consideration, focusing outreach on nonincumbent candidates in districts 1, 4, 7 and 8.

“We want to flip those seats to people who represent us better,” Laverde said, criticizing current council members for taking actions without consulting the community.

In District 1, Flip BCC endorsed Moni Gangopadhyay, who has experience as a policymaker on the California Public Utilities Commission.

In District 4, Flip BCC endorsed Majdi “Gaith” Abuhamdieh, a policy analyst at YouTube, co-founder of Jaffa Coffee and former Berkeley Peace and Justice commissioner. He is challenging incumbent Councilmember Igor Tregub.

“We were stoked,” Abuhamdieh said in an email regarding the endorsement. “As soon as we got involved we felt a strong signal of support from the community. That meant a lot to us. This campaign is people-powered and that endorsement confirmed we are on the right track.”

For districts 7 and 8, Flip BCC issued dual endorsements. The coalition is backing Aidan Hill and Syrak Micael in District 7, as well as Mari Mendonca and Michael Wallman in District 8. O’Brien explained that any candidate whose platform aligned with the coalition’s core principles received an endorsement, leaving ranking decisions to voters.

“I support every part of Flip BCC’s stated platform,” Hill said in an email. “The focus now is accountability after the election … residents should be able to see whether our votes and actions match what we promised. I will welcome that scrutiny when elected, keep my independent judgment, and work with the coalition to turn its platform into concrete Council action.”

Flip BCC plans to continue ground operations, including canvassing, volunteer recruitment and joint campaign support leading up to election day Nov. 3.

“We’re hoping to demonstrate that people are more important than special interests and institutions,” O’Brien said.