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OAKLAND — In a stunning upset, a political novice has defeated longtime Councilwoman Desley Brooks and put an end to a 16-year career spent fighting for her East Oakland district and clashing with colleagues and city staff.
It wasn’t the only race upsetting the status quo. Voters in neighborhoods around Lake Merritt and Chinatown also rode an anti-incumbent wave, dashing Abel Guillen’s hope of a second term. It was the first time in more than two decades a pair of Oakland council incumbents lost.
But it was first-time candidate Loren Taylor, a biomedical engineer and management consultant supported by Mayor Libby Schaaf, who managed to unseat an elected leader who won handily in four prior elections. Taylor jumped out early against Brooks on election night and secured the needed majority of votes after five rounds of ranked-choice tabulations. Taylor finished the race for District 6 with 61.5 percent of the vote to Brooks’ 38.49 percent.
“Incumbents rarely lose in local elections,” Oakland-based political consultant Jim Ross said on election night. “I think it’s an indication of the dissatisfaction people in Oakland feel.”
Brooks, first elected to council in 2002 by defeating incumbent Moses Mayne, for years had the support of her district, as she advocated for police accountability, pushed to establish the Department of Race and Equity and introduced the city’s cannabis equity program which benefits her constituents.
But over the past year, her combative nature in and out of City Hall made headlines. A civil jury and a judge ordered the city to pay $2.2 million to former Black Panther leader Elaine Brown, who sued the city and Brooks after the councilwoman pushed her down during a 2015 altercation. Jurors found Brooks committed elder abuse against Brown, who was injured in the fall.
Brooks later filed a claim against the Oakland City Attorney’s Office claiming it did not adequately represent her in the case. In October, a former Brooks council aide sued her and the city, painting Brooks as an abusive boss who allegedly did not account for money taken from vendors at an East Oakland farmers market. The Oakland Public Ethics Commission is investigating whether she violated rules by failing to report money she received from the Millsmont Farmers Market.
“While Loren stood above the rest and ended up winning, it was the contrast of somebody who hadn’t assaulted a former Black Panther and a senior citizen,” Ross said. “She just couldn’t recover from that weight.”
Brooks did not return a call for comment but on social media she congratulated Taylor on his victory. The challenger benefited from a sizable campaign fund of $138,000, which included support from many contributors outside of Oakland. Two political action committees also worked to defeat Brooks and raised significant money from building trades unions.
Taylor visited City Hall departments Wednesday and said he’s eager to get to work. His first priorities are to bring services to District 6, an area of East Oakland lacking grocery stores, and, soon, a bank when the Bank of America at Eastmont Town Center closes. He’s also made it a priority to get streets repaved and potholes filled.
“Folks want to be able to work, shop, play and live here in the district,” Taylor said Wednesday. “Unfortunately, a lot of that is not readily available.”
In District 2, challenger Nikki Fortunato Bas unseated Guillen with 51.1 percent of the vote. Because she received a majority in the first round to Guillen’s 42.5 percent total, she was declared the winner without needing to count second and third place votes under the ranked choice system.
“The voters have spoken and I respect their decision,” Guillen posted on Twitter. “While this is not the outcome that I hoped for, I will continue my work to serve the city I love in a different capacity. I congratulate the Councilmember-elect and wish her and our city the best.”
Fotunato Bas, a community organizer and advocate, managed to split Guillen’s base, scooping up labor and community activists as supporters in a district that includes the neighborhoods around Lake Merritt and Chinatown.
Pamela Drake, a longtime resident of District 2, supported Guillen in 2014 but said his soft stances on homelessness, the housing crisis and a police accountability ballot measure led her to support Fortunato Bas.
“I don’t think he made a big enough impression,” said Drake, who also worked as a council aide. “A lot of the people who put him into office felt let down, some betrayed.”
Fortunato Bas and the winner in District 4, Sheng Thao, are both seen as more progressive than their predecessors. Thao, chief of staff to Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan, won with 54 percent of the vote, ahead of Pamela Harris who got 46 percent. The district seat was wide open after Councilwoman Annie Campbell Washington announced she would not seek re-election.