But the move is not surprising. Despite a severe shortage of cops on the street, Thao has never prioritized more police. Back in 2021, when she was a member of the City Council, she and her allies rebuffed then-Mayor Libby Schaaf’s request to increase the number of training academies to speed up police hiring.

In Alameda County, the ballots have been sent out and people could begin mail-in voting as of Monday. But in Oakland, rather than selecting people to put into office, this election is dominated by efforts to kick people out of office.