THE BUZZ: HER NEXT ACT — Former Rep. Barbara Lee hasn’t quite said the magic words to make it official, but all indications are that she’s running to be Oakland’s next mayor. On Monday, she opened a fundraising committee to run in the April special election. She is scheduled to give an interview to KQED, a Bay Area radio station, today. And her spokesperson Sean Dugar said she would make an announcement about her decision “later this week.” Basically, she’s telling us she’s running … without telling us she’s running. Lee’s foray into the contest, after the November recall of Mayor Sheng Thao, would be a seismic political shift for the embattled East Bay city, which is hurtling toward bankruptcy and whose voters have grown frustrated over crime, street blight and homelessness. It could also give progressives, who’ve seen their influence wane in the San Francisco Bay Area and statewide, a chance to hold onto power in a major California city. Lee would immediately be a frontrunner in the crowded race. She’s a national progressive icon, known for being the lone congressperson to vote against the war in Afghanistan. She also has wide name recognition back home after representing Oakland in Congress for nearly 30 years. But she would inherit a city facing problems of a magnitude not seen elsewhere in the state. And opponents are already questioning if Lee is the right person for the job after decades on Capitol Hill. The case for Lee: — She would consolidate the left. Organizers say they expect she could clear the field of major progressive challengers, offering a unity candidate for city insiders wary of more instability. That would leave former City Councilmember Loren Taylor, a more moderate Democrat who narrowly lost the 2022 race for mayor, as her most serious opponent already in the race. — Moderates are disorganized. Taylor told Playbook that he’s staying in the contest, but his campaign has been slow to get off the ground. That’s worried even some of his allies — and could limit the extent to which wealthy tech executives and business groups that helped fund last year’s recall efforts spend to back him. “Right now, Barbara Lee wins easily,” said Seneca Scott, a local activist and provocateur who has previously supported Taylor. “Loren Taylor put himself behind because he failed to launch. I believe he missed his window.” Ludovic Blain, an Oaklander and director of the California Donor Table, a major progressive fundraising arm, said Oakland's progressive base makes it less susceptible to a “tech-backed takeover” in the mayor’s race than other Bay Area cities. — She has a cavalry. Lee has many friends in high places, from Washington to Sacramento. Her 2024 campaign for U.S. Senate, while unsuccessful, was backed by Our Revolution, the national progressive network linked to Bernie Sanders. Lee is also close to a host of prominent Black leaders, including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, former Sen. Laphonza Butler and Rep. Lateefah Simon, who replaced her in Congress. The case against her: — Lee lacks executive experience. Much of what she is known for in Washington is far removed from the daily realities of leading a city in crisis. The 78-year-old also would be among the oldest mayors of a major California city. Taylor hasn’t directly brought up the age factor, but he suggested Lee would hold too closely to the status quo. “What I believe and know is that Oakland needs a fresh approach to leadership in government,” Taylor, 47, told Playbook. — She won’t be tough on crime. Oakland voters just deposed two officials — largely over crime frustrations. While the statistics have improved, the city still has one of the worst crime rates in the state. Lee has long been a progressive on justice issues, and Taylor is clearly prepared to criticize her stances. “You can’t leave people vulnerable to predators because of an ideological position,” he said of Lee’s progressive roots. GOOD MORNING. Happy Tuesday. Thanks for waking up with Playbook. You can text us at 916-562-0685 — save it as “CA Playbook” in your contacts. Or drop us a line at dgardiner@politico.com and bjones@politico.com, or on X — @DustinGardiner and @jonesblakej. WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced.
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