On Monday, Governor Jerry Brown threw his political weight behind one of his former aides, Libby Schaaf, who is running against incumbent Democratic Mayor of Oakland Jean Quan.
Brown, who served as mayor of Oakland himself from 1999 to 2007, is both popular and well-liked. However, not all of his past endorsements have carried much weight at the polls, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
In 2010, the Chronicle notes, despite Brown’s endorsement of former state Senator Don Perata, Jean Quan persevered and is seeking re-election this year. Similarly, four years earlier in 2006, Brown had endorsed Councilman Ignacio De La Fuente, who lost to Ron Dellums; Dellums subsequently went on to lose to Quan.
Schaaf, who Brown described as being both “down to earth” and possessing “a lot of common sense,” is polling in third place against 13 other candidates. Mayor Quan is polling in second and just behind fellow Democratic candidate and Oakland city councilwoman Rebecca Kaplan.
Kaplan, who is bisexual, has been called “the torch bearer for the LGBT community” following her efforts to repeal a 130-year plus ban on an 1879 law in Oakland that banned cross-dressing.
A reported 39% of voters are still undecided as to how they will vote.
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