Sheng Thao

Sheng Thao
Name	Sheng Thao
Office	49th Mayor of Oakland
Term start	January 9, 2023
Predecessor	Libby Schaaf
Birth date	1985/1986
Birth place	Tennessee, United States
Party	Democratic Party

Sheng Thao Sheng Thao is an American politician who serves as the 49th Mayor of Oakland, California. A member of the Democratic Party, she was elected after serving on the Oakland City Council and has been noted for her focus on public safety, housing, and economic recovery. Thao's rise from a background of foster care to city leadership has attracted attention from national media and municipal reform advocates.

Early life and education

Thao was born in Tennessee to refugee parents from Laos and grew up in Oregon and the San Francisco Bay Area. She spent part of her childhood in the foster care system and lived in multiple cities including Oakland, California, which later shaped her policy priorities. Thao attended public schools before earning higher education credentials from institutions in California and completing programs associated with municipal leadership and public policy training.

Career before politics

Before elected office, Thao worked in various roles across community organizations and local government agencies in the San Francisco Bay Area. She held positions with workforce development programs connected to Alameda County and projects involving Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles-style operations and nonprofit organizations. Thao's early career included work in constituent services, community outreach, and initiatives partnering with agencies such as California Department of Social Services-linked programs and regional planning bodies.

Oakland City Council

Thao won election to the Oakland City Council representing District 4, succeeding a councilmember who had served during a period of debates over policing and homelessness in Oakland, California. On the council she collaborated with colleagues on land use decisions, budget negotiations, and public safety frameworks, engaging with entities such as Alameda County Board of Supervisors and regional transit bodies like Bay Area Rapid Transit. Her council tenure involved interactions with community groups, labor organizations including local chapters of the Service Employees International Union, and coalitions that worked with state legislators from Sacramento, California.

Mayoral campaign and election

Thao launched a campaign for mayor of Oakland, California emphasizing public safety reform, housing production, and economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic. Her campaign competed in a field with candidates endorsed by figures connected to state and national politics, and she participated in forums alongside activists and business leaders. Thao secured victories through coalition-building with neighborhood associations, labor unions, and elected officials from the Democratic Party, culminating in a runoff and a general election success that drew attention from media outlets in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C..

Tenure as Mayor of Oakland

As mayor, Thao has overseen municipal responses to homelessness, public safety, and fiscal challenges facing Oakland, California, working with departments including the Oakland Police Department and city budget offices. She has engaged with state agencies in Sacramento, California to seek funding, partnered with regional transit authorities such as Bay Area Rapid Transit and AC Transit for mobility projects, and coordinated with federal offices in Washington, D.C. on grant opportunities. Thao's administration has navigated relations with community organizations, neighborhood coalitions, business groups like the Oakland Chamber of Commerce, and legal stakeholders including civil rights groups and housing advocates.

Political positions and initiatives

Thao's priorities include measures on public safety reform, affordable housing production, and economic development in Oakland, California. She has advocated for coordinated efforts involving the Oakland Police Department, county agencies like the Alameda County Sheriff's Office, and nonprofit service providers. On housing, Thao has supported partnerships with state programs from California Housing Finance Agency and local housing authorities to expand affordable units and address encampment responses. Her administration has pursued workforce initiatives aligning with labor unions and apprenticeship programs, engaged with climate resilience efforts tied to regional planning groups, and sought federal disaster and infrastructure funds administered by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and U.S. Department of Transportation.

Personal life and recognition

Thao's background as the child of Lao refugees and someone who experienced foster care has been cited in profiles by national and local news outlets in San Francisco and Oakland, California. She has received recognition from community groups, civic organizations, and political leaders, and has been a speaker at events hosted by organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area. Thao maintains connections with nonprofit networks, municipal leadership programs, and advocacy groups focused on immigrant communities and urban policy.

Category:Mayors of Oakland, California Category:California Democrats Category:American politicians of Laotian descent