Charlene WangCharlene Wang

We're pleased to endorse Councilmember Charlene Wang again for Oakland D2. CM Wang has been a consistent supporter of housing in her district and throughout Oakland generally. She showed real leadership and scored a major win for housing when Oakland’s implementation of transit-oriented upzoning bill SB79 was up for a vote.

Charlene Wang has been a force on the city council since taking office in 2025. She is a workhorse for her constituents who tirelessly gathers feedback from the community and then puts that into practice at City Hall. The true hallmark of a great city councilmember is the ability to move forward while balancing trade-offs and she’s done that extremely well.

On homelessness, she has expanded shelter capacity so that when an encampment is closed, people have somewhere to go. On public safety, she’s supported the camera technology that helps solve crimes while remaining a firm advocate for the much-needed privacy protections that keep it trustworthy. On housing, she’s moved new development near transit hubs even when neighbors pushed to slow it down. And she’s worked to get survivors of sexual exploitation the services and protection they need.

District 2 is a uniquely diverse place. It includes Little Saigon and Chinatown, Crocker Highlands, Jack London Square, and parts of Downtown. Charlene is perfect for this district as she is both progressive and practical.

Source (https://www.empoweroakland.com/voter-guide#oakland-council-d2)

CM Charlene Wang is our pick for Oakland D2. Wang has served a half term and has been a consistent supporter of housing in her district and Oakland generally. One of her major wins was to implement transit-oriented upzoning bill SB79 in her district as soon as the law came into effect, years sooner than the citywide plan, a crucial stand that rippled to neighboring jurisdictions. CM Wang also has touted her efforts to add more homeownership options through AB 1033 ADU conversions and we appreciate her focus on improving transit and safe streets as well. Going forward she intends to lower the cost of construction (faster permitting, simpler standards, and more flexible unit sizes) and continue to work on improving Oakland’s response to homelessness.