Oakland Democratic Mayor Sheng Thao is facing a recall on November's ballot after community organizers successfully gathered nearly double the required number of signatures to initiate the process. The group known as 'OUST' (Oakland United to Recall Sheng Thao) submitted their petition two weeks ago, and Alameda County officials confirmed on Wednesday that they had surpassed the 25,000 voter signature threshold.
The recall effort was led by retired Judge Brenda Harbin-Forte, who accused Thao of contributing to rising crime rates, including incidents of grand theft auto and street robberies. Harbin-Forte claimed that businesses were leaving Oakland at an accelerated rate since Thao took office.
