Update: Tune in to Berkeleyside’s 2016 live blog tonight, Nov. 8, and see our Election Day photo gallery. Share your election news, photos and videos with us. Details are here. Looking for an election night watch party in Berkeley? Look no further.
Vote-by-mail ballots are here and the Nov. 8, 2016, election is right around the corner. Berkeleyside has been covering the issues for months, and we’ve collected much of our Berkeley election coverage into one place to help readers get informed before they cast their votes. This page will be updated regularly until Election Day, so bookmark it and keep coming back.
In addition to our news coverage, a lively debate has been going on in our opinion pages. Berkeleyside welcomes submissions of op-ed articles of 500-800 words. We ask for first refusal to publish. Topics should be Berkeley-related and local authors are preferred. Please email submissions and questions to the editors.
Tune in Tuesday to the Berkeley elections live blog.
Scroll to the bottom of this page for local voter information, and visit Voter’s Edge to see your Berkeley ballot. If you think this resource is handy, please share it with your networks, through social media and email.
Candidate descriptions below, in italics, reflect the ballot order and ballot designation. All opinion pieces — regardless of author or subject — appear in a separate section near the bottom of this post. The links in the italics intros pull up past Berkeleyside coverage related to the candidates.
Click the following links to jump to the section of interest.
- Candidate forums and side-by-side comparisons
- The mayoral race
- District 2: West Berkeley
- District 3: South Berkeley
- District 5: North Berkeley
- District 6: Northeast Berkeley
- School Board
- Rent Board
- Ballot measures
- Campaign finances
- Opinion pieces
- General information
- Other resources
Now dive on in.
Election Day and beyond
- Tune in to Berkeleyside’s 2016 election live blog
- 1,500 walk out of Berkeley High in election protest
- Berkeley’s own political earthquake: Arreguín becomes mayor, progressives seize council majority
- Photo slideshow: Berkeley High walkout, protest march
- Protests in Berkeley, Oakland over Trump election
- Davila expands lead in District 2, next results expected Wednesday
- UC Berkeley police investigate election-related hate crime
Candidate forums and more comparisons
- Side by side: The mayor’s race (Compare responses to Berkeleyside’s candidate survey)
- Side by side: District 2 (Compare responses to Berkeleyside’s candidate survey)
- Side by side: District 3 (Compare responses to Berkeleyside’s candidate survey)
- Side by side: District 5 (Compare responses to Berkeleyside’s candidate survey)
- Side by side: District 6 (Compare responses to Berkeleyside’s candidate survey)
- Side by side: The Rent Board (Compare responses to Berkeleyside’s candidate survey)
- Berkeley mayoral candidates square off about budget, homelessness and more
- Berkeley candidates outline their positions on the arts
- Berkeley candidates share their vision for downtown
- Housing views show split in South, West Berkeley races
- See some of what you missed: League of Women Voters videos (off-site)
- News analysis: Who will control Berkeley’s City Council post-election?
Mayoral race
Eight candidates will be on the ballot: Kriss Worthington (Berkeley City Council member), Bernt Rainer Wahl (scientist/entrepreneur/professor), Zachary RunningWolf (indigenous elder), Jesse Arreguín (Berkeley City Council member), Naomi D. Pete (no designation requested), Laurie Capitelli (Berkeley City Council member, District 5), Ben Gould (graduate student), Guy “Mike” Lee (community volunteer). More campaign stories are coming.
- Laurie Capitelli wants to bring compromise, consensus to mayor’s office
- If elected, Jesse Arreguín would be Berkeley’s first Latino mayor, just one of many firsts
- Cal campus covered with graffiti for Jesse Arreguín
- Arreguín accelerates fundraising but Capitelli maintains monetary lead
- Top contenders for Berkeley mayor have sharp differences towards development
- Berkeley mayoral candidates square off about budget, homelessness and more
- Berkeley candidates outline their positions on the arts
- Berkeley candidates share their vision for downtown
- Election 2016 Berkeley: Spotlight on the mayor’s race
- Election 2016: Who is Kriss Worthington?
- Election 2016: Who is Jesse Arreguín?
- Election 2016: Who is Laurie Capitelli?
- Election 2016: Who is Ben Gould?
- Election 2016: Who is Guy ‘Mike’ Lee?
- Compare the candidate responses in a grid (PDF)
- Kriss Worthington to run for mayor of Berkeley
- Would a homeless mayor in Berkeley make a difference for the homeless?
- Berkeley mayoral hopefuls weigh in on homelessness
- With mayor and two councilmen stepping aside, Berkeley’s election is heating up
- Laurie Capitelli to run for mayor of Berkeley in 2016
- Jesse Arreguín formally announces run for mayor
- Oops! Did Jesse Arreguín inadvertently declare he is running for mayor?
- Websites: Worthington || Wahl || RunningWolf || Arreguín || Capitelli || Gould || Lee
District 2: West Berkeley
Three candidates are on the ballot: Cheryl Davila (commissioner/bookkeeper/parent), Nanci Ira Armstrong-Temple (teacher/mom/entrepreneur), and Darryl Moore (Berkeley City Council member, District 2). An overview of the race is in the works.
- District 2 race focused on housing, police, accountability
- Police roust homeless camp; activists vow to return
- Election 2016 Berkeley: Spotlight on District 2
- Election 2016: Who is Cheryl Davila?
- Election 2016: Who is Nanci Armstrong-Temple?
- Election 2016: Who is Darryl Moore?
- Compare all three candidate responses in a grid (PDF)
- Housing views show split in South, West Berkeley races
- Berkeley candidates outline their positions on the arts
- Berkeley candidates share their vision for downtown
- Websites: Davila || Armstrong-Temple || Moore
District 3: South Berkeley
Four candidates are on the ballot: Mark A. Coplan (retired school administrator), Al G. Murray (Personnel Board chair), Deborah Matthews (educator/Realtor) and Ben Bartlett (director, environmental non-profit). An overview of the race is in the works.
- 4 take aim at open South Berkeley City Council seat
- Election 2016 Berkeley: Spotlight on District 3
- Election 2016: Who is Mark Coplan?
- Election 2016: Who is Al Murray?
- Election 2016: Who is Deborah Matthews?
- Election 2016: Who is Ben Bartlett?
- Compare all four candidate responses in a grid (PDF)
- With mayor and two councilmen stepping aside, Berkeley’s election is heating up
- Housing views show split in South, West Berkeley races
- Berkeley candidates outline their positions on the arts
- Berkeley candidates share their vision for downtown
- Watch the forum video from the League of Women Voters
- Websites: Coplan || Murray || Matthews || Bartlett
District 5: North Berkeley
Two candidates are running: Sophie Hahn (Zoning Board commissioner) and Stephen Murphy (family justice advocate). More coming soon.
- Election 2016: Who will represent North Berkeley next?
- Election 2016 Berkeley: Spotlight on District 5
- Election 2016: Who is Sophie Hahn?
- Election 2016: Who is Stephen Murphy?
- Compare both candidate responses in a grid (PDF)
- Berkeley candidates outline their positions on the arts
- Berkeley candidates share their vision for downtown
- Video of the League of Women Voters forum
- Websites: Hahn || Murphy
District 6: Northeast Berkeley
Three candidates are on the ballot: Susan Wengraf (incumbent), Fred Dodsworth (journalist/teacher/businessperson) and Isabelle Gaston (medical writer). More coming soon.
- District 6 candidates clash over development, homeless
- Election 2016 Berkeley: Spotlight on District 6
- Election 2016: Who is Susan Wengraf?
- Election 2016: Who is Fred Dodsworth?
- Election 2016: Who is Isabelle Gaston?
- Compare all three candidate responses in a grid (PDF)
- Berkeley candidates outline their positions on the arts
- Berkeley candidates share their vision for downtown
- Video of the League of Women Voters forum
- Websites: Wengraf || Dodsworth || Gastonxx
- District 6 candidates clash over development, homeless
Berkeley School Board
Four candidates are running for two seats: Abdur Sikder (scientist/entrepreneur), Judy Appel (Berkeley School Board director), Beatriz Leyva-Cutler (incumbent) and Norma J F Harrison (write-in candidate).
- School Board candidates back Measure E1, will push for education equality
- Election 2016 Berkeley: Spotlight on the School Board
- Election 2016: Who is Abdur Sikder?
- Election 2016: Who is Judy Appel?
- Election 2016: Who is Beatriz Leyva-Cutler?
- Norma J F Harrison overview (provided via email)
- Watch the School Board forum video from the League of Women Voters
- Websites: Sikder || Appel || Leyva-Cutler || Harrison
Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board
Six people are running for four seats: Nate Wollman (property manager), Alejandro Soto-Vigil (Rent Stabilization Board commissioner), Leah Simon-Weisberg (tenant attorney), Judy J. Hunt (commissioner, Rent Stabilization Board), Igor Tregub (Housing commissioner/engineer), Christina Murphy (housing coordinator). More coming soon.
- 6 candidates compete for 4 slots on Berkeley Rent Board
- Election 2016 Berkeley: Spotlight on the Rent Board
- Election 2016: Who is Nate Wollman?
- Election 2016: Who is Alejandro Soto-Vigil?
- Election 2016: Who is Leah Simon-Weisberg?
- Election 2016: Who is Judy Hunt?
- Election 2016: Who is Igor Tregub?
- Election 2016: Who is Christina Murphy?
- Compare the candidate responses in a grid (PDF)
- Watch the Rent Board forum from the League of Women Voters
Ballot measures
- Fight involving Measures DD and U1 is costliest in election
- BSEP would fund small class sizes, libraries, music in schools, but with big tax hike
- Public campaign finance advocates find ‘outsized role’ of money in past Berkeley elections
- 2 weeks before election, Oakland soda tax debate intensifies
- 12 measures will shape city’s infrastructure, education budget, campaign financing, more
- Address verification work continues for Berkeley Unified
- Real-estate interests spend big to defeat rental tax spike
- Opponents reach compromise on Berkeley minimum wage ballot language
- Courts weigh in on two of Berkeley’s ballot measures
- Council passes minimum wage law for $15 in 2018
- Council plans special meeting on minimum wage (again)
- Landlord group sues Berkeley over rental tax initiative
- Council cancels special meeting on minimum wage
- Special council meeting announced to vote on compromise minimum wage
- School board candidates back Measure E1, will push for education equality
- Op-ed: All parties agree… Vote no on BB and CC to preserve the minimum-wage ordinance
Campaign finances
- Fight involving Measures DD and U1 is costliest in election
- Public campaign finance advocates find ‘outsized role’ of money in past Berkeley elections
- As election nears, contributions and complaints mount
- Real estate interests spend $92K to help elect Berkeley candidates
- Real-estate interests spend big to defeat rental tax spike
- With 28 days to the election, fundraising gap between mayoral candidates widens
- 2 open Berkeley City Council races draw significant cash
- The mayor’s race is off and running: Where do campaign coffers stand?
- They’re off: Candidates file campaign finance statements
Opinion pieces
- Op-ed: Why I’m voting for Darryl Moore (By Christine Staples)
- Op-ed: A response to Terry Roberts (By Robert Krumme)
- Op-ed: We get what we deserve (By Eric Bjerkholt)
- Op-ed: Real progressives vote for housing (By Stephen Murphy)
- Op-ed: A solution to Berkeley’s political price tag problem (By Jesse Townley)
- Op-ed: Utility undergrounding must be considered in disaster planning (By Terry Roberts)
- Op-ed: Why I’m supporting Cheryl Davila for City Council, District 2 (By Noah Sochet)
- Op-ed: Sophie Hahn is exceptional, and just what Berkeley needs (By Carrie Olson)
- Op-ed: The politics of hospital closures (By Daniel Caraco)
- Op-ed: Berkeley values: Divisiveness isn’t one of them (By Laurie Capitelli)
- Op-ed: There is a lot wrong with Measure U1 (By Albert Sukoff)
- Op-ed: On negativity (By Victoria Legg)
- Op-ed: The race for mayor — a disconnect on development (By Dan E. Stein)
- Op-ed: Don’t be misled by big landlords spending $1M to defeat U1 (By Stephen Barton)
- Op-ed: Vote no on Measure U1, which is a shill for big developers (By Krista Gulbransen)
- Op-ed: Laurie Capitelli is the social equity candidate for Berkeley (By Carole Kennerly)
- Op-ed: Capitelli shouldn’t be mayor, Arreguín should: Equity & jobs (By Rick Auerbach)
- Op-ed: Do not tie undergrounding utilities to disaster preparedness (By Patricia Mapps)
- Op-ed: We need Darryl Moore on Berkeley City Council (By Stephanie Anne Johnson)
- Op-ed: Undergrounding utilities is no answer to earthquake safety (By Isabelle Gaston)
- Op-ed: Why 10 current and former elected officials endorse Capitelli (By various authors)
- Op-ed: Don’t let developers buy Berkeley’s election (By Donald Goldmacher)
- Op-ed: Vote yes on U1, no on Measure DD to fund affordable housing (By Stephen Barton)
- Op-ed: Some insights into ranked choice voting in Berkeley (By Pedro Hernandez)
- Op-ed: A better way to address the housing crisis (By Christina Oatfield)
- Op-ed: Equitable access to education can transform — Yes on Measure E1 (Avi Khullar)
- Op-ed: Why vote ‘yes’ on Measure T1, the $100 million bond measure (Diz Swift)
- Op-ed: It takes a special person to lead Berkeley and it’s Laurie Capitelli (David Salk)
- Op-ed: Why I’ve decided to vote for Laurie Capitelli (By Jonathan Jaffe)
- Op-ed: Berkeley needs a mayor who shows true leadership (By Eric Panzer)
- Op-ed: Laurie Capitelli? Progressive leadership? (By Nicky Gonzalez Yuen)
- Op-ed: Why is the Berkeley City Council so right-wing? (By Keith Johnson)
- Op-ed: It’s not about 70s politics — it’s about the future of Berkeley (By Shirley Dean)
- Op-ed: Jesse Arreguín, Sophie Hahn and the 2 Measure Rs (By Alan Tobey)
- Op-ed: The long and short of Cheryl Davila, candidate for City Council (By Kathryn Horsley)
- Op-ed: Berkeley’s minimum wage bungle (By Michael Saltsman)
- Op-ed: Laurie Capitelli is not a true progressive (By Negeene Mosaed)
- Op-ed: Policy, not rhetoric needed to fight climate change (By Jesse Arreguín)
- Op-ed: Councilman Arreguín can’t greenwash his anti-housing policies (By Ben Gould)
- Op-ed: It’s not rocket science to solve homelessness (By Mike Lee)
- Op-ed: Arreguín is right to oppose Jerry Brown’s give-away (By Zelda Bronstein)
- Op-ed: Switch it up — support clean energy for Berkeley (By Sophie Hahn)
- Op-ed: Berkeley should endorse Gov. Brown’s housing proposal (By Garret Christensen)
- Op-ed: Environmental issues must be solved with Berkeley values (By Jesse Arreguín)
- Op-ed: Keeping our teachers close to home (By Laurie Capitelli)
- Op-ed: Berkeley lacks long-term vision for public commons (By Marc Beyeler)
- Op-ed: Why I support Isabelle Gaston for City Council (By Dan McDunn)
- Op-ed: A new vision for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund (By Ben Bartlett)
- Op-ed: Too cute to fail? A critical look at tiny houses (By Carol Denney)
- Op-ed: City employees should not serve on commissions (By Capitelli, Wengraf, Droste)
- Op-ed: Berkeley needs to spend money to upgrade earthquake shelters (By Isabelle Gaston)
- Op-ed: An open letter to City Council on homelessness (By Mike Lee)
- Op-ed: Berkeley’s ancient ruins — A photo essay (By Isabelle Gaston)
- Op-ed: Support the recommendations of the Homeless Task Force (By Jesse Arreguín)
- Op-ed: Let’s amplify local voices in Berkeley City Hall (By Woody Little)
Election events and general information
- Forum alert: Get to know your 2016 Berkeley candidates
- 24/7 ballot drop box now available in downtown Berkeley
- And the survey says: Berkeley is on the right track
- Where to watch the 2016 presidential debate in Berkeley
- Federal probe launched into dumped voter guides, returned election postcards
- Our Voter’s Edge guide helps you sort through the candidates and measures
- That’s right, Berkeley, you can vote in person now
- Ranked-choice voting primer for Berkeley voters
- Volunteers target swing states at the Berkeley-Albany Hillary Clinton campaign HQ
- Berkeley kids perform flash mob dance for Hillary Clinton
- Tune in Tuesday to the Berkeley elections live blog
- Ballot stuffing in Berkeley, the legitimate way
- Where to watch 2016 election results in Berkeley
- Before it’s over: ‘Live’ photo gallery of Berkeley election
Other resources
- The city of Berkeley’s election portal, including candidate info and ballot arguments
- Don’t know your Berkeley City Council district? The city website has a handy tool for that.
- Voter’s Edge: View a personalized ballot by entering your address
- The League of Women Voters Berkeley, Albany and Emeryville: Local races
- Check your voter registration status (and sign up to get election materials online)
- Find your voter profile (Alameda County registrar of voters)
- Confused about ranked-choice voting? Learn how it works
The deadline to register to vote in Alameda County for the Nov. 8 election was Monday, Oct. 24. Berkeleyside does not endorse candidates or measures. Did we miss a resource you think we should add, or have interesting tips about election coverage? Email Berkeleyside.
Berkeleyside publishes many articles every day. To see all our stories in chronological order, and read ones you may have missed, check out our All the News grid.
