An Alameda County Board of Supervisors that has seen a surprising amount of turnover in the past few years will have at least one new member after a March 5 election where four of the five seats are up for grabs.
Two candidates, Elisa Marquez and David Haubert, are running unopposed, while the District 4 seat is currently held by longtime board president Nate Miley, whose challenger Jennifer Esteen is seen as a longshot.
That leaves the District 5 Seat – recently vacated by Keith Carson, who announced his retirement in a surprise move in December – the most hotly contested race. The nine-candidate field consists of mayors, city council members, political organizers, lawyers, and executives – with no clear favorite.
In District 4, Esteen is running on a platform of “housing, healthcare, jobs, and justice.” Board President Miley is running for his seventh term, and has the advantage in experience and name recognition. Still, Esteen has been trying to convince voters of the need for change, highlighting issues such as evictions and conditions at the Santa Rita Jail that have gone unaddressed before the County Board of Supervisors and accusing Miley of unethical behavior.
The candidates in the District 5 race include Oakland City Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas, Berkeley city council member Ben Bartlett, and former Emeryville mayor John Bauters.
Also running are Gregory Hodge, who ran for Oakland mayor in 2022, and identified himself as a nonprofit executive in his filings; Laurel Plimier, an attorney and data scientist; Chris Moore, a longtime community volunteer involved in the Pamela Price Recall effort; Ken Berrick, a trustee for the Alameda County board of education’s 3rd district; and Gerald Pechenuk, a volunteer elections observer who is currently suing Alameda County and the board for civil rights violations.
Bauters seemed to make an impact early, racking up a steady stream of endorsements and financial contributions over the past three months.
Bauters campaign has reported raising over $100,000, and has earned the backing of dozens of local elected officials in the East Bay. Most recently, the campaign announced support from the Nor Cal Carpenters union and the Sierra Club, and a 100 % rating from Planned Parenthood.
Bauters is emphasizing his support for small business, building more affordable housing, and tackling homelessness.
Other candidates have also endeavored to present their vision.
Moore, the Pamela Price recall advocate, has emphasized the high crime rate in Alameda County in his mailings, arguing that his experience as an auditor will allow him to drive accountability in county government.
Oakland City Council President Fortunato Bas, widely seen as a strong candidate for the seat, has also earned an impressive list of endorsements, including from the California Nurses Union, the Alameda Labor Council, the Green Party of Alameda County, and California State Senator Nancy Skinner, among others.
Three out of five seats on board have changed hands in the past few years. Supervisors Richard Valle and Wilma Chan, who both served for 10 years, died in 2023 and 2021 respectively. Supervisor Scott Haggerty, who sat on the board for 24 years, retired in 2021.
The election for the board seat will take place in March.