With six weeks before election night and just weeks before mail-in ballots are slated to arrive, things are beginning to heat up in the Alameda County District 5 Supervisor race.

Emeryville City Councilmember John Bauters and Oakland City Councilmember Nikki Fortunato Bas, the two top vote-getters in the March primary, are locked in a run-off to replace Keith Carson who occupied the seat for 32 years. The winner could easily serve their entire political career in the role unchallenged as Carson did.

The stakes are even higher for Bauters who would be relegated to a private citizen if he loses as his four year council term is expiring and he is forbidden from running two campaigns concurrently. A loss by Bas would keep her an Oakland City Councilmember until her term ends in 2027.

Bas, who handily received the most primary votes and precinct wins, went into the race a clear favorite. Bas has positioned herself as the leftist, pro-labor, progressive candidate and Bauters as the more moderate, fiscally pragmatic alternative.

Launch of Attack Website ‘Opening Salvo’ in escalating Feud?

The race had been mostly civil until two weeks ago when Bas, likely sensing momentum by Bauters, launched an attack website against him. The website, truthaboutbauters.com, describes Bauters as “anti-labor” for his attempt to create a minimum wage carve-out for small food service businesses, and a “developer shill” for his strong alignment with YIMBYism.

The site also attempts to demonstrate overlap between his campaign funders and donors to conservative candidates and causes.

The site was paid for not by an Independent Expenditure Committee (IEC) for Bas, but directly from her campaign as noted on the site. It’s likely the attack will also appear on a mailer sent to those in the district.

The site links to several reputable sources including our own but curiously links to an obscure, personal blog as the primary source for her attacks. This blog is run by a man with a reputation of publishing personal rants, attack pieces, and half-truths. Many of the criticisms from his blog would get a big red “False” or “Mostly False” if they were scrutinized by a factchecking website. It’s hard to imagine anyone knowledgeable of the city and familiar with his work considering his blog “news” or his efforts “journalistic.”

The attack website drew immediate criticism from current and former Emeryville councilmembers, particularly Women of Color, who have endured his personal attacks throughout their years on council.

Both had stern words for the blogger that they called “sexist” and a “NIMBY” and that his blog was filled with half truths and conspiracy theories. This blogger is incidentally running yet again for EUSD School Board.

Any suggestion that Bas was naive of the background of this blogger was addressed by Welch. “The most devious part is I have told Nikki this. She knows. I told her about his background of harassment during the primary while we both were talking about the harassment we’ve experienced as women of color electeds.”

Bauters fired back with a tweet disputing these attacks. “I heard my opponent wants to compare our records, and I support that.” he retorted linking to a section of his campaign website contrasting the two candidates.

Bauters’ supporters created an Independent Expenditure Committee (EIC) early in his campaign named “Bauters for a Safer East Bay” presumably to attack Bas’ and Oakland’s dismal record on public safety under her tenure. This IEC has yet to go on the attack but this “preemptive strike” by Bas might touch off a more intense feud leading up to election night.

For voters who prioritize public safety, Bauters might be considered the lesser of two evils. He never explicitly called for “defunding” the Police as Bas did but his tepid response to the times Emeryville came under assault by looters is hardly the ‘tough talk’ some expect from their leaders.

Despite crime trending downward in recent months, Public Safety is still an important priority for District 5 residents and Bauters better aligns with traditional public safety. In fact, the Oakland Police Officers Association, clearly no allies of Bas, have donated to Bauters’ IEC. Having an IEC allows candidates to distance themselves from these attacks and contributors that might be perceived as not aligning with Democratic Party values or allies.

Endorsement Battle Also Heating Up

Both candidates are actively lobbying for endorsements and Bauters recently received an important one by the man he is seeking to replace, Keith Carson. Bauters has also received the endorsements of Congressman Eric Swalwell, Emeryville Assemblymember Mia Bonta and former Emeryville Assemblymember Buffy Wicks.

Bas has received the endorsements of likely Congresswoman Lateefah Simon, State Senator Nancy Skinner and Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin who is running for State Senate.

Who supporters of the eliminated primary candidates might throw their support behind is also a factor. Ben Bartlett and Greg Hodge have endorsed Bas. Ken Berrick, Chris Moore and Lorrel Plimier have all endorsed Bauters.

Neither candidate was able to secure the important official Democratic Party endorsement as neither reached the 60% Alameda County Democratic Central Committee’s (ACDCC) vote threshold.

The ACDCC’s endorsement process can be viewed in the above Facebook video beginning at [13:20]. In the brief, 15 minute Q&A, the committee asked the candidates five questions to showcase their positions on a variety of issues important to democratic-registered voters.

The ACDCC’s alignment with what the mainstream voter wants will be tested this election as they have fiercely opposed the recall of DA Pamela Price. SF Democratic clubs also opposed the recall of their reformer DA Chesa Boudin who was still overwhelmingly recalled by voters.

As of August, both candidates have raised nearly half a million dollars toward their campaigns according to The Oaklandside.

Voters will have an opportunity to distinguish the two candidates at a League of Women Voters Virtual Candidate Forum on Tuesday, September 24th at 6:30 p.m.

Voters can register and submit questions in advance through their website.

A full schedule of LoWV candidate forums is listed on their website.