Candidate Forum: Board of Supervisors District 3

This candidate forum is cosponsored by the League of Women Voters of Oakland, Alameda, and Eden Area.

Moderator: Theresa Nelson, Theresa Nelson & Associates

Candidates for Board of Supervisors District 3 Rebecca Kaplan and Lena Tam will answer questions on issues important to voters. District 3 includes the cities of Alameda, San Leandro, and a portion of Oakland, including the Chinatown, Jack London, Fruitvale, and San Antonio neighborhoods. It also includes the unincorporated communities of San Lorenzo and Hayward Acres.

Oakland is in Alameda County. The County has five districts. Each district has a Supervisor who is elected for a four-year term. The Board of Supervisors appoints the County Administrator, who is an employee who runs the day-to-day operations for county services, such as public health, mental health, social services, probation, child support, public defender and elections.  The Board of Supervisors also adopts the budget, approves contracts (including funding for housing the homeless) and supervises the County Administrator according to the State Constitution, State law and the County Charter.

For more information: https://bos.acgov.org/about/

Registration is required.

Register here. Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions to the candidates ahead of the event. More information is provided when you register.

Why this race is important

The District 3 seat was left open when former Supervisor Wilma Chan was killed by a motorist in 2021. Her Chief of Staff Dave Brown took over her seat, but could not run to keep the position because he moved out of the district. The Board of Supervisors has broad responsibilities including appointing most County officers and employees (except elected officials), adopting an annual budget, awarding all contracts for public works, and more. Learn more here.

Languages

Translation in Spanish and Cantonese will be available.

A recording of the event will be posted on the League of Women Voters of Oakland website.