OAKLAND — The first domino fell in the grand reshaping of Oakland City Hall when Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas said Wednesday she would resign early from office to become an Alameda County supervisor next year.
Bas will officially announce her resignation Dec. 17, soon enough so that both she and Mayor Sheng Thao — who was recalled by 60% of voters last month — can be replaced on the same ballot in a special election likely to take place on April 15.
In the meantime, the new-look City Council that takes office in January is expected to appoint someone to replace Bas, who strongly indicated at a news conference Wednesday that she will endorse someone to take her place.
Before leaving office, Bas will serve as the city’s interim mayor for about 19 days. After new members are sworn in Jan. 6, the council is expected to appoint one of its own to serve as both council president and interim mayor until the April election.
City officials said Wednesday that the temporary appointment to the District 2 council seat most likely will not be a job that members of the public can apply to fill.
Instead, council members will track down a prospect for the job behind the scenes before considering the appointment at a public meeting. The candidate Bas endorses may end up being the only person considered.
Whoever fills the role will not be able to run in the April election to finish Bas’ four-year term, which will expire at the end of 2026.
Bas, a labor-backed politician and former progressive organizer, will end a six-year run as the City Council member in Oakland’s District 2, which covers Chinatown, Jack London Square and areas south of Lake Merritt, including the San Antonio neighborhood.
“It’s one of the most diverse districts in the entire city,” Bas said Wednesday in a prepared speech announcing her early resignation, which she noted will help consolidate the two upcoming special elections and “save hundreds of thousands of dollars for the city of Oakland.”
Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas, left, and Oakland Mayoral candidate and Oakland Council President Pro Tem Sheng Thao share a moment as they speak before supporters during an election night watch party at 7th West in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
A staunch ally of unions and skeptic of hardline policing, Bas emerged victorious in final election results Tuesday for a county supervisor seat against John Bauters, an Emeryville councilmember who had pushed a vision of boosting public transit and making neighborhoods more walkable.
Candidates are already lining up to become Bas’ permanent successor next April.
One is Charlene Wang, a policy analyst with no previous political experience in the Bay Area who campaigned her way into third place in a crowded race last month for the council’s at-large seat.
Kanitha Matoury, a downtown business owner who finished fifth in the same race, will also run for the District 2, and most likely will Harold Lowe, a former challenger to Bas in 2022.
But the winner next April may turn right back to campaign mode not too long afterward, with the seat up for re-election in November 2026.
Shomik Mukherjee is a reporter covering Oakland. Call or text him at 510-905-5495 or email him at shomik@bayareanewsgroup.com.
