Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee Leads With 85% as Hayward Sets Nov. 17 Meet

East Bay voters and municipal agencies are moving from election-night returns into year-end governance as Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee commands an overwhelming early lead, the Hayward City Council prepares for a November 17 closed session, and BART coordinates regional station parking for championship commuters.

Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee Captures 85% in Early Alameda County Returns

Early returns released after 11 p.m. Tuesday by the Alameda County Registrar of Voters—reflecting mail-in, drop-box, and partial polling-site tallies ahead of the Nov. 10 postmark receipt window—showed Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee leading with 85% of the vote, according to Oakland North. Challengers Brenda Grisham, Mindy Pechenuk, and Julius Robinson each remained in single digits as East Oakland residents Allim Moor, 62, and George Holland, 85, praised Lee's decades of public service.

Lee also celebrated early support for Measure EE, a charter reform shifting Oakland to a strong-mayor executive structure that captured nearly three-quarters of initial returns with backing from voters such as Kaila Mathis, alongside Measure FF, which expands the real estate transfer tax to certain foreclosed properties. In City Council races, District 2 candidate Charlene Wang—supported by resident Joyce Ching—led challenger Nate Adams, while Janani Ramachandran ran unopposed in District 4 and Council President Kevin Jenkins faced longtime resident Nancy Sidebotham (an Oakland resident since 1964) in District 6. Incumbent City Auditor Michael Houston, who joined the office in 2019 and became assistant city auditor in 2021, also ran unopposed, while District 2, District 4, and District 6 board races featured Jennifer Brouhard, Arielle Fleisher, Mike Hutchinson, Kathryn Camp, Sylvia Williams, Valarie Bachelor, LeAna Powell, and Alexandra Williams.

Hayward City Council Schedules November 17 Closed Session Meeting

Further south in Alameda County, the Hayward City Council has scheduled a closed session meeting for November 17, 2026, beginning with an open public comment period before councilmembers—who serve at large—convene in closed session, according to City of Hayward — News. Residents may participate in person in Conference Room 2A or join remotely via Zoom (Meeting ID 882 1380 3640, password C11/17@5pm) or by phone at +1 833 928 4609 using *5 to request to speak and *6 to unmute.

Written comments submitted via the eComment portal on the Legistar calendar or by email before 3:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting are compiled into a report for councilmembers and staff, while submissions after 3:00 p.m. through adjournment enter the next day's official record. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, requests for disability accommodations or translation services must be made at least 48 hours in advance by calling the City Clerk at (510) 583-4400.

BART Details 35-Station Parking Operations for Valkyries Championship Parade

To manage cross-bay travel for the Golden State Valkyries WNBA Championship Parade on Wednesday, Nov. 4, BART staged extra and longer trains, added security and station staff, and opened parking across 35 stations with payment available via the Official BART App or station machines, according to BART news. The agency advised riders to avoid five stations with limited parking capacity—Glen Park, MacArthur, Rockridge, Walnut Creek, and West Oakland—which routinely fill as early as 8:30 a.m., noting that parking is available so Daily Fee riders may park in Reserved zones after 10 a.m. once standard lots fill, while the Valley Transportation Authority managed and operated parking at Milpitas and Berryessa/North San Jose.