Yesterday, Oakland, California residents went to the polls to elect their next mayor and—with former Rep. Barbara Lee on the ballot—it looked like we were on the cusp of seeing a woman take power in one of the country’s largest cities. But today, the race is too close to call, with vote tallying likely to take several days.
A loss for Barbara Lee would shut women out of executive political power in the Bay Area. (London Breed lost her San Francisco re-elect in November.) According to the Center for American Women and Politics, women hold only 25 percent of mayoral seats in the nearly 1,700 US cities with a population over 30,000. In the months ahead, we must work to preserve and grow women’s representation as mayors in more major cities.
The next major 2025 mayoral election will be on May 3 in San Antonio, where former Under Secretary of the Air Force Gina Ortiz Jones has a 2-point lead—in a 27 candidate field—against her closest opponent, a male member of the city council.
🔸 Dorcey Applyrs, Mayor of Albany: Albany’s current mayor, a Democratic woman—who was Albany’s first female mayor—is not running for another term. Former council member and current Chief City Auditor Dorcey Applyrs is running to reduce crime and improve quality of life in Albany, while elevating a new generation of leaders and keeping a woman in charge at city hall. The primary is June 24.
🔸 Michelle Wu, Mayor of Boston (i): When she was elected to her first term in 2021, Michelle became the first woman and first person of color to serve as Boston’s mayor. Last year she broke barriers again when she gave birth while serving as mayor. She is facing a very serious challenge from Josh Kraft, a nonprofit executive and son of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. The primary is September 23.
🔸 Mary Sheffield, Mayor of Detroit: Detroit has never had a Black female mayor, but that could change this year. Mary is the president of the Detroit City Council and a slight favorite for this open seat, though she is also facing strong challenges from a current city council member and a former police chief. The election is November 4. There is no primary.