City Councilman Jesse Arreguín formally announced Thursday that he is running for Berkeley mayor by sending out an email statement declaring his candidacy. He will follow that up with a kick-off rally Nov. 12 at 6 p.m. in a location that will be announced later.
Arreguín said Berkeley needs to be a city “that works for everyone” and pledged in the statement to unify the city and produce results. He said the No. 1 challenge facing Berkeley is affordability.
“We must ensure Berkeley remains a diverse and vibrant city,” said Arreguín. “That means protecting and expanding affordable housing and fighting displacement. It also means tackling health, economic and educational disparities, so everyone in Berkeley has the opportunity to succeed.”
Arreguín is the first person to announce he will run in November 2016. During the last mayoral election in 2012, Mayor Tom Bates, who won reelection, said it would be his last campaign.
City Councilman Laurie Capitelli is widely expected to run for mayor as well. He did not return calls asking for comment on Arreguín’s announcement.
Arreguín, who has served two terms on the City Council and one on the city’s Rent Stabilization Board, said he also wants to modernize city government and use technology to make Berkeley’s public services more innovative and efficient. He represents District 4.
His website is www.Jesse.vote and the campaign also has a page on Facebook. Learn more about the kick-off event.
Related:
Oops! Did Jesse Arreguín inadvertently declare he is running for for mayor? (10.20.15)
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