Heading into the Nov. 3 statewide election, voters in Berkeley\u2019s Southside will decide what kind of activist they want representing the area.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The two candidates in the race for the student-dominated District 7, Aidan Hill and Syrak Micael, are aligned in many ways.\u00a0They both point to affordability, especially around housing, as a key issue in the district; they both oppose mass surveillance and the city\u2019s controversial Flock contract;they are both UC Berkeley alumni and self-described activists.<\/p>\n
Micael\u2019s ties run back to a host of community organizations and student activist groups, as well as outgoing Councilmember Cecilia Lunaparra, who has endorsed him.Hill has won the support of the Peace and Freedom Partyand a number of local longtime activists.Hill\u2019s roots in activism revolve around People\u2019s Park.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If either candidate hopes to get elected, they will need to energize and win over a district that comprises a supermajority of students and that\u2019s infamous among local activists and campaigners for its apathy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Historically, District 7 has the lowest voter turnout rate of all City Council districts. Berkeley\u2019s districts are evenly divided to encompass roughly 15,500 residents each,and other districts\u2019 turnout in recent elections regularly exceeds 3,000 voters.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In Southside, however, only 493 people voted in the 2024 election,with Lunaparra securing the election with just 291 votes.That election was a special election, but the previous one in 2022 still saw only 691 total votes cast.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lunaparra said she sees the District 7 council seat as necessary for prioritizing the needs of students and allowing them to have a voice in city government.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a difficult job in the sense that the campus turns around so often, so you have to keep building and maintaining relationships year after year,\u201d Lunaparra said. \u201cBut I also think that\u2019s part of the beautiful thing about it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lunaparra noted that District 7 is \u201cthe only district where students really get to decide who\u2019s going to be in the seat\u201d and that the low student turnout gives even more weight to each individual vote in the district.<\/p>\n
Micael has actively sought to address<\/a> low voter turnout in the student population. He and his campaign have canvassed outside of student residence halls with promotional materials and staffers every week.<\/p>\n Micael said half the battle is convincing students to \u201cvote, period.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n He has led Hill in endorsements, especially from student groups.But Hill said their campaign staff have been knocking on doors and ringing phones across the district. On Friday, they distributed food with the East Bay Food Not Bombs collective on Telegraph Avenue and Haste Street.\u00a0<\/p>\n Hill has positioned themself as the anti-establishment candidate in the race, running against the political dynasty supporting Micael.\u00a0<\/p>\n If elected, Micael would carry on a multi-term tradition of the District 7 seat being filled by a current or recently graduated UC Berkeley student, which began with Rigel Robinson in 2018 and has been carried on by Lunaparra since 2024.\u00a0<\/p>\n Lunaparra said it\u2019s important for the District 7 seat to represent the student perspective and voice. She noted Southside changes \u201call the time,\u201d so having someone on council with recent experience as a student in the area is paramount for representing students in government.\u00a0<\/p>\n Looking forward, Lunaparra said the issues of housing, affordability, the city\u2019s budget and surveillance \u2014 concerns raised by both candidates in their campaigns \u2014 could all be defining issues in the upcoming term.\u00a0<\/p>\n District 7 sits at the forefront of the city\u2019s historic issues with housing and rent costs, as the vast majority of residents in the student-majority district rent their homes. Lunaparra said housing legislation and tenant protections became some of the most meaningful work she did in the district and that the next council membermust continue advocating for tenants.\u00a0<\/p>\n Both Micael and Hill have staunchly opposed the highly controversial Flock Safety cameras and other forms of surveillance technology used or sought by police in Berkeley.<\/p>\n Both candidates have openly campaigned<\/a> against the city\u2019s contract with Flock Safety, and both fall into the \u201canti-flock bloc\u201d highlighted by activist group Berkeley Against Mass Surveillance.Questions of police technology and powers currently split the City Council, making the upcoming elections a possible inflection point for the future of policing in Berkeley.\u00a0<\/p>\n Both campaigns have also stood behind increased tenant protections and affordable housing, as well as pushing to address broader basic needs concerns in the district. Micael has advocated for Alameda County\u2019s $30 minimum wage proposal and positioned himself in support of UC Berkeley\u2019s unions.\u00a0<\/p>\n Micael has also called for the revitalization of the Dwight Triangle space as a center of community in the district.\u00a0<\/p>\n Lunaparra took office in the aftermath of UC Berkeley\u2019s sweep<\/a>\u00a0of People\u2019s Park, which Hill sees as an example of development devastating Southside.The park and, more broadly, the district\u2019s limited open space, have played a central role in Hill\u2019s campaign and activism.\u00a0<\/p>\n One of Hill\u2019s key platforms is cultivating public space in the dense and urban Southside.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a legacy of 57 years. It means that decades of people have spent their lives here,\u201d Hill said. \u201cI didn\u2019t look away or walk away or leave it because it was politically convenient. It means that at the end of the day, no matter what, I\u2019m here to protect people.\u201d<\/p>\n Hill has slammed Micael for his vote on the city\u2019s Housing Advisory Commission to recommend that the city fund supportive housing at the park.\u00a0<\/p>\n Additionally, Hill said they want to see a city inventory of public spaces on Southside andimmediate repairs to Telegraph Avenue\u2019s dilapidated streets,as well as renovation of Bowditch Street to recenter the passage around pedestrians, cyclists and greenery.\u00a0<\/p>\n That proposal presents an alternative to Micael and his predecessors\u2019 longtime dream of a car-free Telegraph, which Hill does not think will work.The proposal, advanced by the city but lacking a set completion date, could see similar pedestrianization efforts<\/a> on the Telegraph corridor more frequented by students.<\/p>\n Mia Verdin, president of Telegraph For People,a student group advocating for street safety and a car-free Telegraph, pointed out that many students have faced close encounters with vehicles on Telegraph, making their safety a key issue for District 7.<\/p>\n \u201cStudents deserve better than to be a victim of traffic violence, or to be the next headline saying, \u2018Student injured in a collision,\u2019\u201d Verdin said.<\/p>\n