|
Dellums victory in mayoral race looks good for Oaksterdam |
|
|
|
|
Written by Justin Baker
|
Oakland political icon and former NORML boardmenber Ron Dellums took a commanding lead in the city mayoral race that may power him into office without needing a runoff vote.
Dellums rode popular disaffection with the status quo of the entrenched political machine represented by his main opponent, Ignacio De la Fuente. Council member Nancy Nadel made a respectable third place showing in the race.
When asked about Measure Z and whether his past cannabis advocacy would continue, Dellums said “I’m here to support you.” A January poll by Oaksterdam News showed candidates who support cannabis regulation gain votes when the public becomes aware of their position. De la Fuente’s negative bias against cannabis has been a sore point that has drawn angry public comment at City Council meetings.
As of press time, it looked like Dellums would receive more than 50 percent of votes cast in the race and thus avoid a runoff. In District 2, challenger Aimee Allison forced incumbent De la Fuente ally Pat Kernighan into a November runoff. Allison supports taxing and regulating cannabis in the city and supports Measure Z. If Allison wins this fall, it will add a reliable vote for reform.
|
Volume Two 
