The Advocate

(Art by HEBSTREITS) The city of San Leandro is in violation of the California Voting Rights Act . Our rejection of district-based local elections and continued use of the at-large system prevents us from having a truly representative city council that advocates for everyone in our city. To understand why, we need to take a short trip to LA County and the case of the Pico Neighborhood Association v. The City of Santa Monica . A recent decision from the California State Supreme Court determined that Black and Latino voters in the area were being systemically disenfranchised and BIPOC candidates were unable to afford to run for office. The court further found that the local government, as well as some courts, "misconstrued" what the CVRA requires, sending the case back for review and equitable resolution in favor of the plaintiff's civil rights. San Leandro's at-large elections weaken the power of the different communities and neighborhoods that make up our city to choo

As always, here are my votes for the 2022 primary election, along with the reasons and receipts. This will be a long post, so buckle up! I'm starting with the local San Leandro and district elections first, then county races and measures, then ballot propositions, then finally the statewide and federal offices. If you're strapped for time, you can find the tl;dr version just below and then check out the details further down at your leisure. NB: this post has been updated recently. City Offices: Mayor, toss-up with Lee Thomas 1st and Bryan Azevedo 2nd City Council District 1, Celina Reynes City Council District 5, Xouhoa Bowen City Council District 3, Victor Aguilar SLUSD Board Member Area 2, Jackie Calderón Perl District Offices: AC Transit Director-At-Large, Alfred Twu AC Transit Director Ward 3, Sarah Syed EBMUD Director Ward 7, Corina Lopez Eden Township Healthcare District Director Zone 5, Chike Udemezue Oro Loma Sanitary District Board Members, Mimi Dean, Rita Duncan, and

Extra extra! A fantastic event is coming up, hosted here in San Leandro by my synagogue, Temple Beth Sholom! It's a combination of a Buy Nothing event and a voter registration drive. For those who may not know, Buy Nothing is a hyperlocal gifting project to promote sustainable and affordable sharing within communities. The voter registration drive is sponsored by Operation: Big Vote, from the Big Tent Collaboration, organized by our very own Bernard Ashcraft to help get more San Leandrans to the polls for this critical election year. Flyers and more detailed information are available below: Temple Beth Sholom October 23, 12 Noon to 3 PM 642 Dolores Avenue, San Leandro Items Will Include: Men’s and Women’s Clothing Baby and Kid’s Clothing Halloween Costumes Kid/Young Adult Books Toys and Games Kitchen Items Arts and Crafts Please bring bags to take your items home in. Able to volunteer or have questions? Email MollyinSF at gmail dot com. Refreshments for sale – bring cash. Voter r