Loren's Endorsements For The March 5 Primary Election

Hi Loren,

246,000 Oakland voters received their ballots last week, yet the majority are not expected to vote. If you're not convinced how every single vote matters, just look to the recent Mayoral election that I lost by less than 680 votes (0.28% of registered voters). That small margin had such a huge impact on the trajectory of our city.

In addition to your personal vote, I encourage you to encourage others to vote as well. And in case you/they are unsure who/what to vote for, I am sharing my ballot recommendations below. Feel free to share with your family, friends, and neighbors encouraging them to exercise their power by voting on or before March 5th.

Yours in service of Oakland,

Loren M Taylor

Founder of Empower Oakland

Former Oakland Councilmember

Loren Taylor's March 2024 Primary Election Voter Guide

As always there is a lot on the ballot. I encourage you to do your own research, but in addition, am providing my personal recommendations to help in your decision-making.

County Central Committee - The little-known, but powerful Central Committee is the Board of Directors for the local Democratic Party. They determine the candidates who get the Democratic Party endorsement which can shift an election outcome by more than 10%. This committee has recently pushed irresponsible and misguided policies that make life more difficult for Oakland residents. The following candidates are best because they care more about serving residents and keeping them safe than waging ideological battles or advancing their political careers.

Assembly District 18 - Empower Oakland Slate (Vote all 7)

1. Laura Leigh Geist
2. Loren Manuel Taylor
3. Warren Logan
4. Harold Lowe
5. Amber Childress
6. Arielle Fleisher
7. Pamela Ferran

Honorable Mention: (Optional to add)

8. Adrian Abuyen

9. Zac Bowling

10. Tracy Jensen

Assembly District 14 - Democrats for Affordable Housing Slate (Vote all 5)

1. Terry Taplin
2. James Chang
3. Aaron Tiedemann
4. Dyana Delfin Polk
5. Andy Kelley

Honorable Mention: (Optional to add)

6. Sarah Price

7. Igor Tregub

President - Joe Biden. A vote for anyone else is a defacto vote for Trump, and that is the worst possible outcome of the 2024 election.

US Senate - Barbara Lee. Not only has Barbara Lee served us well for over 25 years in Congress, but she is the only viable Senate candidate from Northern California. She will ensure Oakland's needs and issues are front and center in Washington DC in a way that the others will not.

US Congress, 12th District - Lateefah Simon. I've witnessed Lateefah's leadership for over a decade and know that she will fight hard for us in Washington DC and build successful coalitions to drive a policy and budget agenda that helps Oaklanders thrive. She is extremely capable and highly qualified (was the youngest woman to receive the MacArthur Genius Fellowship) and won't simply be 1 of 435 Congressmembers but will be a leader among them Congress - representing our values and our needs.

Honorable Mention - Jennifer Tran. Jennifer is a passionate leader here in Oakland and has a fresh view and perspective on what is needed to tackle our toughest issues - from homelessness to public safety, to supporting small businesses. She bridges many diverse communities in Oakland and is not afraid to call out the dysfunction in politics and government that continues to hold us back.

State Senate, 7th District - Jesse Arreguin. Jesse is the only State Senate Candidate with executive experience (as Berkeley Mayor). He is the best person to represent the liberal values of the East Bay while also being pragmatic and focused on driving results for his constituents. His experience leading regional and statewide coalitions - which I witnessed firsthand while serving on the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) when he was chair - will ensure he is effective in Sacramento.

State Assembly, 14th District - Buffy Wicks. Buffy has been a strong and dynamic leader in Sacramento, balancing competing priorities well and working with a wide range of stakeholders to find creative win-win solutions to our affordable housing crisis, public safety challenges, and need for economic development and job creation.

State Assembly, 18th District - Mia Bonta. Mia continues to serve the Assembly District well as an Assemblymember and her challengers are not ready for this role.

Alameda County Supervisor, District 4 - Nate Miley. With more than two decades of service as an Alameda County Supervisor, Nate knows what it takes to make the county function efficiently and effectively. Without Nate the Board of Supervisors will have an average of only 1.5 years of experience. We can't afford to lose our institutional memory within the board of supervisors.

Alameda County Supervisor, District 5 (Dual Endorsement)

• Ben Bartlett. Ben Bartlett is a lifelong resident of Alameda County, lawyer, and current city council member who is always innovating in his role on the Berkeley City Council. He has advanced concrete solutions to address homelessness, increase affordable housing, build a stronger East Bay economy, and increase public safety. That same innovative spirit combined with uncompromising values and a deep connection to the community is needed on the Board of Supervisors.

• Ken Berrick. Ken is also a proven leader, having founded and led Seneca Families and is now serving on the County Board of Education. His decades of experience driving social services solutions in Alameda County would be valuable to have on the board given the amount of resources that are spent on social services and how critical those services are to solve our county's toughest challenges.

Honorable Mentions - I want to also acknowledge a couple of other candidates who I appreciate for stepping up to serve even if less experienced/ prepared for all the requirements of the job. Chris Moore is not afraid to challenge the status quo, pointing out the flaws in how government operates, and offering up pragmatic solutions for fixing those challenges. Also, Greg Hodge has provided community leadership as a member of the Brotherhood of Elders.

Superior Court Judge, Office #12 - Michael Johnson. When his competitor violated ethical standards by announcing his political support for Pamela Price, Michael relied on his strong understanding of judicial canon to refrain from commenting. As a judge, Michael will make balanced decisions and ensure that we uphold the highest ethical standards in the courts.

Oakland City Auditor - Michael Houston. Even if Michael were not running unopposed, I would encourage others to support him. For decades he has consistently shown the highest standards of care and professionalism and a desire for well-functioning government. His being elevated to interim City Auditor last Fall is only a testament to others also having confidence in his ability to do the job.

State Measure 1 - Yes. We must do more to address our mental health services infrastructure across California. The cost is relatively small for the benefit this will create.

County Measure A - Yes. It is beneficial to align our laws with those of the state of CA, similar to what has been done in other cities.

County Measure B - Yes. This is a good approach to reducing the unacceptably long hiring process. I have long advocated for Oakland to make similar improvements.

City of Oakland Measure D - Yes. Since these budget allocations were already approved by voters, this measure doesn't add any new taxes but merely aligns with Oakland voters' previous decisions.

Loren Taylor - Website