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network of dark money is secretly working to oust Mayor Sheng Thao, the first Hmong American mayor of a major US city. The group Oaklanders Defending Democracy (ODD) claims that big business interests are funding the recall effort through massive amounts of cash enabled by the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision.

    As voters head to the polls on November 5 to decide Thao's fate, questions remain about an FBI raid on her home in June. The agency has never accused Thao of wrongdoing and hasn't explained what prompted the raid. However, ODD believes the real reason behind the recall effort is Thao's pro-worker agenda.

    The recall could plunge Oakland into chaos at a critical time, according to experts. A successful recall would lead to an "avoidable carousel of mayors," with three new mayors in a few months. The City Council president would temporarily take over as mayor, but if the current president wins another election, a less experienced councilor might be elevated to the position.

    The attack on Thao is being funded primarily by people who don't live in Oakland, including a Piedmont hedge fund manager who has donated 80% of the recall money. The same donor also supported an initiative to eliminate ranked-choice voting in Oakland elections. San Francisco tech billionaire Ron Conway and his sons are also significant financial supporters of the anti-democratic recall.

    The effort amounts to an attack by capitalist right-wing forces on a democratically-elected mayor who has committed to record investments in affordable housing, street repair, and bike safety projects. Thao has balanced Oakland's budget without layoffs or major cuts to public safety and helped reduce crime that rose during the pandemic.

    A similar recall campaign is underway against Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price, who was elected as the first African American woman D.A. in the county on a platform of criminal justice reforms. The effort is part of a national attack on progressive prosecutors, including the successful recall of San Francisco D.A. Chesa Boudin.

    Oaklanders Defending Democracy and other groups are rejecting this right-wing attack on democratic elections as an attempt by privileged rich people to impose their agenda over the will of the people. Longtime Oakland activist Sharon Rose urges voters to oppose both recalls and let's keep moving forward to build a more just and equitable community that respects democracy.