Who will rise to replace Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson?

A broad, diverse set of candidates have emerged to run for the Alameda County Board of Supervisors District 5 seat, which will have no incumbent for the first time in more than 30 years.

After Supervisor Keith Carson’s surprise, last-minute retirement annoucement last Friday, the filing deadline was extended to Wednesday December 14 at 5 p.m. In the days since, eight people have declared their candidacy.

The new field, which is now set, consists

of mayors, city council members, political organizers, lawyers, and executives–with no clear favorite.

East Bay residents will likely be familiar with some of the candidates, including Oakland City Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas, Berkeley city council member Ben Bartlett, and former Emeryville mayor John Bauters. All three have held elected office in city government and can run a campaign based on experience.

But the field also contains some relative political newcomers, including Gregory Hodge–who ran for Oakland mayor in 2022, and identified himself as a nonprofit executive in his filings–as well as Laurel Plimier, an attorney and data scientist. Ken Berrick, a Trustee for the Alameda County board of education’s 3rd district, is also running.

Also declaring their candidacy were Gerald Pechenuk, a volunteer elections observer who is currently suing Alameda County and the board for civil rights violations, and Omar Farmer.

There was some speculation that Supervisor Carson would throw his support behind a candidate after his late decision to exit the race, but that has not happened. Carson said he chose not to seek re-election after long discussions with his family and loved ones, and after a series of personal tragedies over the past five years. Observers also wondered if State Senator Nancy Skinner would enter the race, who likely would have been an immediate favorite, or at least the candidate with the most financial backing. Skinner ultimately did not file.

Carson’s decision not to run ultimately came at the last possible moment before he had to finalize his candidacy on Dec. 8. It also gave potential successors the minimum amount of time to organize a campaign to replace him.

Carson has held the District 5 seat, which represents North Oakland, Berkeley, and Emeryville, since 1992. During that time, he helped move the county toward sustainability, championed programs for the unhoused, and chaired a number of committees that promoted economic development. It’s unclear if the new candidates will pledge to continue that work, or offer a fresh vision.

Three out of five seats on board have changed hands in the past few years. Supervisors Richard Valle and Wilma Chan, who both served for 10 years, died in 2023 and 2021 respectively. Supervisor Scott Haggerty, who sat on the board for 24 years, retired in 2021.

The election for the board seat will take place in March of 2024.