Oakland shares timeline for replacing mayor after Sheng Thao recalled

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- Oakland will have a new mayor after Mayor Sheng Thao was recalled in the November election. That much we know. But the path to who will become the next mayor involves several steps.

Oakland city officials held a press event Wednesday morning to explain the process.

RELATED: Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao recalled by voters

Officials expect the Alameda County Registrar of Voters to certify the November election results by Thursday.

The Oakland City Council has to accept the results, which it will do at its next city council meeting on Dec. 17.

At that moment, Mayor Sheng Thao will no longer be mayor.

City Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas will become interim mayor. However, Bas is also moving on. She won her race for Alameda County Board of Supervisors for District 5. She will submit a letter of resignation and serve until Jan. 6.

"I will have more information to share by December 17 about the interim plans for our District 2 council office," said Bas.

MORE: How police department plays large role in Oakland's $93 million budget deficit

At that Jan. 6 meeting, a new city council will be sworn in and they will pick the next city council president and president pro temp. That president will become interim mayor and pro temp will be acting council president.

Next, there will be a special election for Oakland mayor and Bas's District 2 seat, which will be held on April 15. The interim mayor will serve until the winner of the special election is sworn in.

A special election will be held on April 15, 2025, for the new mayor.

Bas resigning in December allows for the city to hold a consolidated special election on April 15. Both winners will serve until the next regular election in November 2026.

Nominations for candidates who want to run for mayor or District 2 will begin on Dec. 23. Those who are interested have until January 17, 2025, to submit papers. Of note, whoever wins the District 2 seat will only serve for four months since they are legally barred from running in the special election.

"In other circumstances, we might have a mayor pass away or suddenly become incapacitated and we would have a vacancy that we are dealing with in real time. Right now, we have the advantage of planning weeks and months ahead," says Chief Assistant City Attorney Ryan Richardson.

In this scenario, Oakland will likely have four mayors between now and April.

MORE: Oakland may have to declare fiscal emergency as it faces historic budget deficit

This all unfolds as Oakland faces an almost $100 million historic budget deficit. But the way Oakland government is set up, the mayor is not as strong as in other cities. Bas adds that the current council has already been doing the hard work.

"We are making tough choices already. We are looking at this as how do we continue to address the structural imbalance that we have. So, we are really working to set up the next council, the new mayor for success," says Bas.

Former Alameda County Superior Court Judge Brenda Harbin-Forte led the recall campaign against Mayor Thao. Judge Brenda, as she is known, sent a letter to the city claiming that there are other options for a cleaner transition with only one interim mayor.

One example is having Bas resign as council president and letting one of the outgoing council members Kalb, Kaplan or Reid, serve instead.

Oakland City Council will have a special budget on Dec. 9 where they will discuss some possible budget cuts. President Bas hopes to have some tough decisions made by the end of the year.

Another potential scenario could arise. If the result of the Board of Supervisors race is challenged, Bas will likely remain in her council seat. That would force the city to hold two separate special elections.