First-term Oakland City Councilmember Charlene Wang was leading her sole opponent in Tuesday’s election based on early returns from the Alameda County Registrar of Voters Office.
Wang was ahead with about 69% of the vote in the first round of the ranked-choice election, while her challenger for the District 2 seat, political newcomer Nate Adams, had about 31%.
Wang is herself relatively new to the city’s political scene, having lost a 2024 election for the at-large council seat and prevailed in a special 2025 election to replace Nikki Fortunato Bas, who left to serve on the Alameda County Board of Supervisors.
Wang was elected to fill the remaining 19 months of Fortunato Bas’ term and faced Adams for the right to serve a full four-year term.
While he hasn’t run for public office before, Adams has served in a leadership role for the East Bay Democratic Socialists of America and worked as an organizer for the Richmond Progressive Alliance, a political group focused on social justice, economic equality and environmental protections, among other things.
Oakland’s District 2 is in the center of the city and includes several neighborhoods, including Chinatown, Little Saigon, Eastlake, San Antonio, Bella Vista, Trestle Glen, Crocker Highlands, Lakeshore and Jack London Square.
More information about both candidates can be found online at charleneforoakland.com and nateforoakland.com.
