Longtime critic calls for Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao's resignation
OAKLAND, Calif. - A longtime critic is calling for embattled Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao to resign.
Several organizations and political voices have called for Thao to step down, and on Wednesday, former Oakland city councilmember and mayoral candidate Loren Taylor was the latest to join those calls. Taylor ran against Thao in 2022 and lost by less than 700 votes.
Taylor has said he'll run for mayor again if Thao is recalled.
"Oakland would be best served if Mayor Thao were to resign immediately, so that Oakland can move toward safety and prosperity," Taylor said in a statement. "The need for effective leadership is even greater and my commitment to my hometown is even stronger…our movement has only grown stronger since."
Taylor's call for Thao's resignation came one day after the Oakland Police Officer's Association publicly demanded that Thao resign during a press conference, citing a lack of resources and "severe" understaffing within the Oakland police force.
Thao responded to the conference saying crime was down in Oakland and accused the POA of "playing politics."
She did not immediately respond to Taylor's latest call to action, but she has repeatedly said she will not resign. Thao has also publicly touted accomplishments under her watch, including a lower crime rate across the city, potholes behind paves and the sale of the city's half of the Coliseum to stave off citywide layoffs.
Still, Taylor said Thao should step down as quickly as possible so that Oaklanders' "precious time and money" won't be "squandered in a special election," spearheaded by retired judge Brenda Harbin-Forte, who was ousted from the Oakland Police Commission by Thao. The group has collected enough signatures for the recall to appear on the November ballot.
In addition to Taylor, U.S. Senate candidate and former Los Angeles Dodgers player Steve Garvey also called for Thao to resign in a statement shared Wednesday and called on his political opponent, Rep. Adam Schiff to join him in doing so.
"Unfortunately, Mayor Thao's policies have exacerbated the situation, turning Oakland into a 'fallen city.'…Oakland has become particularly lawless under her leadership," Garvey said. "I'm calling on Adam Schiff to demonstrate the political courage shown by the [OPOA] and join me in demanding Mayor Thao's resignation for the sake of the community's safety and well-being."
Schiff has not publicly responded to this request.
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