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Two terms is enough for Michael Sweeney.
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HAYWARD//2014 ELECTION/MAYOR | Two weeks ago, when striking city employees in Hayward mocked Mayor Michael Sweeney for taking a vacation while they stood outside City Hall demanding a new contract, long-time observers uttered a similar refrain: “What? Sweeney took a vacation?”
Citing a new direction in his life outside of the mayor’s office, Sweeney announced Wednesday he will not seek re-election next year. It seems Sweeney, 63, and his reclusive ways is in line for a few more vacations in the coming years.
Sweeney’s announcement is a surprise to some, but many Hayward politicos had speculated he might leave office after two terms. The belief began to rise when Councilmember Francisco Zermeno announced his campaign for mayor this spring, whether Sweeney ran or not.
The decision appears to be a personal choice to end nearly two decades in public office following stints in the State Assembly and advocacy in Hayward. Most observers believe Sweeney’s prospects for re-election next year were high. He last won re-election in 2010 against a write-in candidate and winning over 98 percent of the vote.
Wednesday’s news sets up a wide-open mayoral race in Hayward likely to be one of the most interesting in the entire East Bay. Hayward holds its elections in June without a November run-off.
Along with Zermeno, who has been campaigning through the summer, many of his colleagues on the City Council have either voiced interest in running for mayor or could potentially become candidates following the newly-open seat.
They include Councilmembers Barbara Halliday and Mark Salinas who have reportedly showed interest to various community members in running. In addition, some believe Councilmembers Greg Jones and Marvin Peixoto could throw their hats into the race. Do the math: the list of potential candidates is nearly the entire current council. Former Councilmember Olden Henson, who lost his seat last year after 18 years, is also mulling a run.
A scenario featuring essentially a proxy at-large city council race clearly favors Halliday, a capable council member, who incidentally could be the only woman in the race. In the 2012 council race, Halliday received the highest number of votes in a field full of male candidates, including three of the potential candidates this time around. It’s an equation that may come into play again in 2014.
ebcitizen.com 
What is Zermeno's official Title at Chabot? Is he a professor, teacher, instructor or something else?
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As a Chabot connection, Zermeño is the best and most qualified. Zermeno has demonstrated integrity, new ideas, and is serious in supporting education at Chabot and in Hayward. He has been a professor, full time for other 30 years, showing stability, not just a part time professor.
I also love the book behind Sweeny! Go the F to sleep! Too funy! Who picked that picture?
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Who's supposed to fire them?
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Fire the entire council and mayor for putting us in so much debt and turning Hayward into a business ghost town, giving the sweet deals to police unions, fireman unions, and gang haven for illegal aliens.
Yes good job Sweeny, Salinas, and Zermeno …my ass.
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Yes, I was thinking about how critical things are in Hayward.
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Lets. see. Clean and green has worked pretty good. Less graffiti. City policies which address more than single issue feel good programs would be better. Believe all council people and Mayor are performing up to their levels of capability. They should be commended for their effort.
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Heard that!
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Such a one sided opinion. What happen to critical thinking?
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I live in Hayward and like Mike Sweeney.
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Heard that!!!!!!!
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“Hayward today”. Worst schools in the Bay area; no new jobs created in several years; huge budget deficits; new freeway through downtown; vacant stores downtown; neighborhood blight; gangs; pensions pushing city toward bankruptcy; total lack of longer term vision; no plan on how to generate new revenue. “Hayward tomorrow”, more of the same when more of the same remain in power.
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Look it's the anti-union troll again. The unions created the middle class in this country. When they have money with good benefits they can spend it in local businesses and help the economy you idiot.
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Because he's in bed with the unions and is another slimy hack for the status quo.
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Sweeney may be a good candidate for Corbett's senate seat. Why not?
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HUSD needs to get back on track and reinstate maintenance positions instead of contracting out. It's turning into a joke as far as maintaining facilities!
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Mark's political strategy. Oh well!
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Sounds like a simplistic political slogan.
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“Hayward needs a mayor who represents what Hayward is today and who represents what Hayward can be in the future,” he said.
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Well said. Union whores really try to be the bullies of the east bay. We'll put them down once and for all.
Power to the people, not the special interest whores!
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What (Who) constitutes the minority voter in Hayward? Is it based on race, political party or some other criteria? Just curious.
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Hope she forgets about politics and donates money to several deserving groups, like those working to improve education in Hayward. Leave politics on a positive note and move on to your next life.
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Tony. You did not retire. You lost.
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The male Tea Party conservative troll is making sexist remarks again! Some people are so insecure they have to put others down by sexist or racist remarks.
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Mixed up the two Mikes. Should have Mike SweeHOney.
So bad!
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This one is for Mike MaHOney. We won't soon forget you. Too bad for us.
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Yes indeed. Ongoing positive results in important areas like education have been severely lacking for many years in Hayward. That's why we have elections to bring about needed change. The Mayor/Council is not the school board, but the ability to work together and respect each other to bring about positive results is needed more than ever if our schools are to improve.
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What have the conservatives accomplished?
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10:49 Yup, you progressives have really done a great job in Hayward. Especially with the schools. Some of the best in the USA. Low crime rate, first class medical care, stellar leadership setting the highest standards in their personal and professional lives. By the way I was talking about splitting votes nothing to do with voting racial lines. And, if you don't think race has anything to do with race or gender you are living on a different planet.
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Thought all candidates worked to get votes from every segment of the community. Non-whites are less than 25% of population. Getting the majority of this vote sounds like a winner to me. But Hayward is long past the point of voting along racial lines. You must be from Alabama, Texas or some other such backwards place. Go home and leave the voting to progressives in Hayward.
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Don't think so unless a known strong force in his life believes it would achieve more status. He is real busy trying to be a successful realtor in a very demanding occupation. Of course with some folks things do not always make sense .
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63 damn, he looks 73. No wonder he's retiring. All aside, thanks for some good work Mike.
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Greg Jones will run for Mayor and win. He connected with a lot of money while City Manager and he will have Jesus Armas working underground for him. Personal problems will creep into the discussion but overall his personal life will remain in the background. Besides, with Zermeno and Salinas fighting for the minority vote and Barbara working for the women's vote all the vote splitting will work in Jones' favor.
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Al Mendall would be the only competent one.
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Who should run for Mayor?
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There are 150,000 people in Hayward. Out of towners. No way.
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Why would Salinas be a good Mayor? No record of leadership, lied about being a professor , no real job, uses influence to get city money for his non profit, doesn't stand for anything. Mayor material?
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All the same… all need to be out..good riddens sweeney
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Mayor Steve was very happy to have helped you out, Tony. Had Mike the morbid run yet again, would have been just as ready to have helped him out…of office.
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Mike has been a good public servant; he helped me with Airport noise problems while he was in the Assembly. I walked precincts for Mike, just as he did for me, for his run for Assembly/State Senate. He worked hard for Hayward and I understand his need to retire from politics-same for me. It is actually nice being away from the hassle of being mayor. Tony Santos
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Salinas would be good choice as mayor and the others I know personally :)..,, The Chabot College connection.
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Sounds like some out of towners are commenting on Hayward again. Keep your negative comments to yourselves.
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All the same… all need to be out..good riddens sweeney.
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Whoever gets in Hayward is damned.
Too bad.
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I love that he's in this picture with “go the fuck to sleep”
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Paul Hodges for Mayor.
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Salinas against Zermeno. Intriguing
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Not a chance. After working for 2 decades criticizing Hayward schools and not having a clue about how to make them better he would be a disaster at the Superentendants job.
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As soon as Sweeney announces he's out, Salinas announces he's in. Was this planned?
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You know, Mary Hayashi lives in the Hayward city limits and is sitting on $750,000.
Hayward mayor, a political rehab job, sensing that she can't win the state senate seat in 2014.
Put in 4 years as mayor then take that state senate job.
Nah, she thinks she is too good for that.
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Good riddance. Sweeney is part of a “Old Boy” network that causes more problems than any of the constituents in Hayward know about. Time for a really bright person to come along and lead Hayward out of the wilderness.
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Good riddance. Sweeney is part of a “Old Boy” network that causes more problems than any of the constituents in Hayward know about. Time for a really bright person to come along and lead Hayward out of the wilderness.
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I would support a dog before I would support Salinas! He is arrogant and I think his ties to Jesus Armas make his judgement and character questionable.
I wonder if Sweeney is silently considering a run for the Alameda County Superintendent of Schools? His desire to be more influential in local education would be satisfied if he were County Superintendent.
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I would support a dog before I would support Salinas! He is arrogant and I think his ties to Jesus Armas make his judgement and character questionable.
I wonder if Sweeney is silently considering a run for the Alameda County Superintendent of Schools? His desire to be more influential in local education would be satisfied if he were County Superintendent.
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Bill Quirk should come back to Hayward and run for Mayor. He's not very effective in assembly, and he would be a good in Hayward. Quirk also doesn't look like he is having any fun in the assembly.
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Hopefully an outsider will run. Talent on council is meager. Zermeno is incapable, Salinas is arrogant, Haliday is not very strong as a leader, Jones has serious personal issues, Piexoto is a throwback to years long since passed and Mendalll needs time for his family. Maybe a current or former school board or HARD board member like Paul or someone else.
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Heard that!
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Who does Sweeny support?? Mark Salinas is not ready to be Mayor and he is too arrogant.
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At last.
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