Meet Mayor Barbara Lee

Barbara Lee was elected the 52nd Mayor of Oakland in a historic special election held on April 15, 2025, becoming the first Black woman to lead the city.

Mayor Barbara Lee brought a wealth of public service experience and deep roots in Oakland, to City Hall. From overcoming personal adversity – raising two sons as a single mother on public assistance, while earning degrees from Mills College and UC Berkeley to becoming an award-winning leader.

Barbara as a young mom.

Barbara was the first Black woman elected to the CA State Assembly, Senate, and U.S. Congress north of Los Angeles – and the only Black woman to serve for over three decades.

Before her election as Mayor, Barbara represented Oakland in the California Legislature and the U.S. House of Representatives for over three decades. During her tenure in Congress, she secured billions in funding for Oakland, supporting community safety programs, local police and fire services, safer and greener streets, small businesses, affordable housing, and the expansion of the environmentally friendly Port of Oakland.

Barbara is a social worker by training and a community organizer at heart. As a graduate student, she founded CHANGE, a mental health clinic serving underserved neighborhoods. She also built a career as a small business owner. Her lived experience fuels her focus on equity, transparency, and results-driven leadership.

During her first year in office, Mayor Lee’s priorities included: her “Keep the Town Clean” campaign removing X tons of trash; reducing homeless encampments by transitioning people to effective mental health, addiction and job training programs; strengthening public safety through a combination of  gun violence reduction and stronger prevention services; working with the League of Women Voters to reform City Hall to operate more efficiently and transparently; and ensuring that core City services are delivered reliably for all Oaklanders.

A People Powered Movement

Barbara Lee’s path to City Hall in 2025 was powered by one of the broadest and most diverse coalitions in most recent Oakland history.

With the support of faith leaders, labor unions, business owners, and over 500 volunteers, Mayor Lee’s campaign:

  • Built a coalition of more than 800 personal and organizational endorsers

  • Identified over 10,000 Lee supporters

  • Organized 71 house parties and community events across the city

  • Participated in nearly 30 forums and debates

  • Distributed nearly 3,000 yard signs and over 150,000 pieces of voter information

  • Engaged hundreds of young people in the democratic process

That people-powered campaign is the foundation for her work in office and it continues to shape her administration’s focus on delivering for every Oakland family and neighborhood.