This is our list of top picks for the November 6th general election. Our members voted, and this reflects the top choices for each race.

Statewide Offices

Vote Gavin Newsom Governor
Vote Eleni Kounalakis Lieutenant Governor
Vote Buffy Wicks for Assembly District 15

Ballot Propositions

Vote yes on prop. 1: $4B affordable housing bond
Vote yes on prop. 2: $2B for homelessness prevention
Vote no on prop 5: Cynical self-serving real estate industry measure to expand Prop 13
Vote no on prop 6: Dangerous proposal to cut road maintenance and essential transit funding
Vote yes on prop 10: Repeal Costa-Hawkins, allowing cities to expand rent control

Regional Measures

Vote yes on Measure FF: Renews funding for regional parks

BART Board of Directors

East Bay for Everyone endorses Libby Schaaf for Oakland Mayor

Vote Mark Foley District 2
Vote Robert Raburn District 4
Vote Anu Natarajan District 6

AC Transit

No endorsement for at-large

Oakland

Vote Libby Schaaf for Mayor
Vote Courtney Ruby for Auditor
Vote Abel Guillén for District 2
Vote Nayeli Maxson for District 4
Vote Marlo Rodriguez for District 6
Vote yes on Measure W: Vacancy Tax to fund homeless services
Vote yes on Measure X: Transfer Tax for general fund
Vote yes on Measure Y: Increase tenant protections in 2 and 3 unit buildings
Vote yes on Measure AA: Parcel tax to fund early childcare and college access

More about our endorsement of Libby Schaaf

Mayor Libby Schaaf has demonstrated a commitment to tackling the issues our organization was created to address. She led the creation of a Department of Transportation to raise the level of strategic thinking around how we move about our city and integrate disparate transportation functions. She has been an advocate for building more housing from ADUs to “missing middle” forms like triplexes and quadplexes to towers near BART. And most impressively, she has become increasingly vocal about the need for regional solutions, calling out cities that contribute to the jobs-housing imbalance and engaging in the CASA process to develop a framework for regional action. We look forward to continuing to work alongside Mayor Schaaf to maintain Oakland’s status as a regional leader on these and other issues.

More about our endorsement of Courtney Ruby

Courtney Ruby previously served as Oakland Auditor from 2007-2014. During her tenure as City Auditor, Courtney turned around a troubled agency and made it a model of accountability, transparency, and results. The office was honored in 2014 with a national award for its work and Courtney was named one of the Most Influential Professionals in Government Auditing. Courtney garnered local, statewide and national interest for the office’s hard-hitting performance audits and investigations. Considering the speed at which new developments are approved and completed in the city of Oakland, having a City Auditor known for her hard work and efficiency is vitally important if we want to help Oakland grow.

More about our endorsement of Abel Guillén

Councilmember Abel Guillén is quite possibly the best housing advocate up for election this fall. He understands the twin challenges of raising incomes and creating housing options to address the housing crisis. He has successfully advocated for new construction in District 2 that adds to the community’s vitality through inclusive community benefits agreements. We believe he will fight for policies that spur the creation of more “missing middle” housing such as the broader use of ADUs in single-family neighborhoods with an eye towards the transportation and other infrastructure investments these changes will require.

More about our endorsement of Nayeli Maxson

Nayeli Maxson’s experience as district representative has given her a front-row seat to the challenges of meaningfully engaging our communities in public processes. She has used those insights to develop a deep respect for the various perspectives at play in any dispute and tenacity to find solutions that solve for most legitimate concerns. On the housing front, this means supporting transit-oriented development, a more systemic approach to approvals and pipeline management, and a willingness to engage with unions to help grow the supply of skilled workers needed to meet our construction needs. She alone among the D4 candidates explicitly expressed a willingness to upzone parts of the district that are well served by transit to ensure the District does its part to meet the city’s housing needs and open up access to its great amenities.

More about our endorsement of Marlo Rodriguez

Marlo Rodriguez, a practicing nurse, brings a common sense approach to challenges presented by the housing crisis along with an appreciation of the deeper forces at play. She specifically calls out the history of exclusionary zoning practiced in communities like Rockridge and calls for correcting that injustice to take pressure off other communities bearing the brunt of housing pressures. She will be a strong advocate for transit-oriented development and increased transparency around the disposition of public lands.

East Bay for Everyone endorses Abel Guillén for Oakland City Council District 2