Congresswoman Barbara Lee speaks onstage at Civic Center Plaza during the Women's March San Francisco on January 19, 2019 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Kelly Sullivan/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, Calif. - Former Congresswoman Barbara Lee on Wednesday announced she's running for Oakland mayor.
In a video shared on social media, she said she has the support of Oakland firefighters and labor leaders and that she's ultimately decided to run for mayor to "unite our city, make it stronger and safer and improve opportunity for everyone."
She added that she's well aware of Oakland's problems, such as crime and a $130-million budget deficit.
"Oakland is a mess," Lee said in the video. "I hear this all the time."
She also showed showed clips of her time over two decades in Congress and asked for donations.
Lee filed campaign paperwork on Monday, but still didn't say at that time whether she'd take the job.
Lee has received encouragement from many Oakland leaders, who said Lee would be an effective mayor. They said she has been very deliberate about considering a run for the office, consulting with a wide range of people about the reality of Oakland's budget crisis.
"She's met with countless leaders throughout the city of Oakland, and she's aware of what the challenges are," Oakland City Council member Carroll Fife said after Monday's council meeting.
Other people who have also filed campaign accounts for Oakland mayor include: Wendy Adams, Johnny Gatlin, Desmond Jeffries, Tyron Jordan, Peter Liu, Mindy Pechenuk, Fabian Robinson, Andrea Smith, Derrick Soo, Elizabeth Swaney, Loren Taylor, Renia Webb and Larry Lionel Young Jr.
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Rep. Barbara Lee reflects on legacy in final days in Congress
Rep. Barbara Lee spoke to political reporter Greg Lee about her career and legacy after nearly 26 years in the House of Representatives.
The 78-year-old Lee served as Oakland's Congresswoman for two decades before choosing not to seek re-election. She ran for Senate to succeed the late Dianne Feinstein, but was ultimately beaten by House Democrat Adam Schiff.
She was probably most famous for her then-unpopular vote in 2001 as the only lawmaker to not want to use military force against those responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks. "Barbara Lee speaks for me" became a famous mantra for many liberals in the East Bay that she represented.
Before Christmas, then-interim mayor Nikki Fortunato Bas, business leader Carl Chan, and Councilmember Treva Reid, among other community leaders, urged Lee to run for mayor as the city grapples with turbulent times.
Interim Oakland Mayor Nikki Fortunato Bas, Carl Chan, and Councilmember Treva Reid, among other community leaders, urged Lee to run for mayor as the city grapples with turbulent times.
"Oakland is a city that is facing a crisis of leadership. Our city needs someone who can restore integrity to the office of the Mayor, unite us in a time of division, and help us address critical issues around the budget, public safety, housing, and inequity in our Town," they said in the letter. "We need someone who can bring the new ideas, policies, resources, and opportunities that the people of Oakland deserve. That person is Barbara Lee."
The nomination period for the mayoral position as well as District 2 is expected to close on Jan. 17.
Oakland is expected to hold a special election to vote on a new mayor and councilperson on April 15.