The Mayor

Barbara Lee

52nd Mayor of Oakland · sworn in May 2025

In office since May 20, 2025 — she won the April 2025 special election held after the recall of Mayor Sheng Thao. She is the first Black woman to serve as Oakland’s mayor.

On the ballot: running in November 2026 for a full four-year term.

Background: represented Oakland in the U.S. Congress from 1998 to 2025; earlier served in the California Legislature; began her political career working for Representative Ron Dellums.

What the mayor can — and can’t — do

Oakland’s government is unusual: power is split between the Mayor, an unelected City Administrator, and the City Council. Knowing what the office actually controls is the key to understanding who to hold responsible for what.

The mayor runs

The city administration — the departments that deliver services.
Hiring (and firing) the City Administrator and the Police Chief.
Proposing the annual budget.
Setting citywide priorities and representing Oakland.

The mayor can’t

Vote on the City Council — the mayor isn’t a member.
Veto the Council’s decisions.
Pass laws or a budget alone — those still need Council approval.

This November, that could change.

A charter measure on the November 2026 ballot would make Oakland a true “strong mayor” city — giving the mayor veto power (overridable by a Council supermajority) and letting the mayor choose the City Administrator, subject to Council approval. Mayor Lee backs the change; the Council advanced it on a divided vote.

Priorities & record so far

From the mayor’s “140 Days of Action” State of the City and local reporting. Figures are the administration’s; we link the sources.

Public safety — the administration reports 2025 violent crime down about 22%, the fewest homicides in over a decade, and burglaries and robberies each down roughly a quarter.
Homelessness & housing — created an Office of Homelessness Solutions with a plan to halve unsheltered homelessness in five years (noted as underfunded by hundreds of millions); about 1,000 affordable homes are under construction, 60%+ for people exiting homelessness.
A cleaner city — a “Keep the Town Clean” effort mobilized 10,000+ volunteers, added drones to spot illegal dumping, and raised dumping fines.
Budget — proposed a balanced budget that doesn’t rely on a parcel tax, avoiding layoffs while trimming the police and other agency budgets.
Governance — launched the charter-reform effort behind the November strong-mayor measure.

Contact & sources

Mayor’s office (oaklandca.gov) · Oakland mayors are less powerful than you think (Oaklandside) · Strong-mayor measure to November ballot (Oaklandside) · 140 Days of Action (Mayor’s office) · Wikipedia