Town Hall Series

EBRHA Town Hall Series:
Oakland Mayoral Candidates
Moderated by Jack Schwartz

Join us from 5:30pm - 7pm for our virtual Town Hall Series!

This segmented series will feature a different Oakland mayoral candidate. We will stimulate an intimate conversation to discuss each candidate's vision for the city, priorities as mayor, ideas for improving our housing crisis, and ways they will assist local rental housing providers and small businesses.

An open member Q&A session will follow the moderated discussion. Members may also submit their questions in advance by sending them to news@ebrha.com, or submitting them during the registration process.

Some of the Town Hall Series dates have been updated. Please look below for updated dates.
If you were already registered for an event, you have been automatically re-registered for the new date. Please reach out to membership@ebrha.com if you have questions.

Ignacio De La Fuente
Wednesday, Sept 7th

Candidate Statement: Ignacio De La Fuente

I am an immigrant from Mexico, a community leader, former President of the Union, and served over 20 years on the City Council fighting crime, revitalizing schools, parks and neighborhoods – Fruitvale Village, Glenview Business District, and Jingletown.

I worked closely with my fellow Oakland City Council members and former Governor/Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown during my time as the City Council President to ensure that the city provided quality basic services and enacted fair and enforceable policies.

After retiring from the Oakland City Council, I founded IDLF Solutions, a consulting firm specializing in government affairs and labor relations, serving clients in the greater San Francisco Bay Area including Oakland, San Jose and Sacramento.

It has been 10 years since I ended public service, but with my years of experience I am compelled to run for Mayor because no other candidate has the political backbone needed to lead Oakland out of the crime siege ripping through our neighborhoods.
Experience Matters!

Loren Taylor
Monday, Sept 19th

Candidate Statement: Loren Taylor

Loren Taylor is a third-generation Oaklander. Loren holds a master’s in biomedical engineering from the University of Connecticut and an MBA from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. He spent his early professional career as a biomedical engineer and a management consultant for businesses and nonprofits. He launched Custom Taylor Solutions, a social impact consulting firm based in Oakland that works with nonprofits and small businesses to improve the lives of disadvantaged communities.

Currently, Loren proudly serves as the District 6 representative on Oakland’s City Council, where he takes a practical and data-driven approach to solving Oakland’s complex issues. As a Councilmember, his decades of experience providing tailored solutions to cities and companies have enabled him to make measurable progress in tackling the most difficult challenges.

Loren lives in East Oakland with his wife, Dr. Erica Taylor, and their two children, Camryn and Manny.

Treva Reid
Wednesday, Sept 28th

Candidate Statement: Treva Reid

Treva is an overcomer, a resilient single mother and community builder. As a senior aide to Assemblymember (now State Senator) Nancy Skinner, Treva advocated for affordable housing policies, gun violence prevention, job training programs, legislation for incarcerated and formerly-incarcerated individuals, and other critical efforts for Oakland residents.

Since she was elected to the Oakland City Council in late 2020, Treva has held to her promise to tirelessly work to move East Oakland forward, championing the priorities of her community.

A lifelong Democrat, Treva served as an Associate for California Assembly District 18 on the Alameda County
Democratic Central Committee, is an Emerge California Alumna, an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and state policy advisor for Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA). She is also a ministry leader at Shiloh Church in Oakland and is engaged in numerous community partnerships.

Treva works tirelessly to address homelessness, end gun violence, increase public safety all across Oakland, ensure housing stability, grow small businesses, advance racial equity, and create economic opportunity for all Oaklanders to recover and thrive.

The Town Hall Series event featuring Treva Reid has been rescheduled to September 28th (previously August 28th).
We have re-registered all participants for September 28th and look forward to seeing you there!

Seneca Scott
Tuesday, Oct 4th

Candidate Statement: Seneca Scott

Seneca moved to Oakland in 2012 to work as the East Bay Director for SEIU Local 1021, representing and negotiating improvements to wages and working conditions for thousands of workers in East Bay cities, most notably Oakland. Moving to the Lower Bottoms, he immediately went to work in the community co-founding Bottoms Up Community Gardens and Oakhella.

In 2020, Seneca ran for City Council to bring a voice to his neighbors who he felt were being ignored. His Neighbors Together movement has since exploded across the city, demanding accountability from its Mayor and City Council. Seneca has worked as a Labor leader and community organizer for over 20 years.

He earned his B.S. from Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations. He has served as a Director for various Unions, as well as a consultant, negotiating contracts for Bay Area public sector employees. In addition to organizing, Seneca is a cook, farmer, and chess enthusiast.

Sheng Thao
Thursday, Oct 6th

Candidate Statement: Sheng Thao

District 4 Councilmember/ President Pro Tem, Sheng Thao was elected in 2018, the first Hmong-American woman elected to serve as a City Councilmember in California. She’s a resilient daughter of refugees, who experienced domestic violence as a young mom, but went on to graduate as Valedictorian from Oakland’s Merritt College, transferring to UC Berkeley.

Sheng initially joined Oakland’s City Council as an intern, ultimately gaining a decade of experience and developing her known expertise on the city budget.

Sheng has successfully brought together people with opposing views to address the most challenging issues facing Oakland, including adding critical new funds for both public safety personnel and violence prevention initiatives and uniting business and labor on a progressive tax to increase needed revenue and cut small business taxes.

Sheng lives near Joaquin Miller Park with her partner, Andre, her 15-year old son, Ben, their 8-year old daughter, Brooklyn and lively beagle,
Shiloh.

The Town Hall Series event featuring Sheng Thao has been rescheduled to Thurs., October 6th (previously Weds., September 14th).
We have re-registered all participants for October 6th and look forward to seeing you there!