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Dan Siegel
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ELECTION 2014 | OAKLAND | MAYOR | In a mayoral race lacking a pure progressive candidate, civil rights attorney Dan Siegel will formally announce Thursday his run for Oakland mayor.
Siegel will make his announcement near Oakland City Hall Thursday morning at 10:30 a.m., he told supporters. He enters a growing field opposing Mayor Jean Quan’s re-election this year, including, Councilmember Libby Schaaf, Port of Oakland Commissioner Bryan Parker and university professor Joe Tuman.
On New Year’s Day, Siegel more than hinted at his long-rumored interested in the mayor’s office when he tweeted, “My New Year’s resolution is to become mayor of Oakland. Let me know if you will help.”
Like nearly every candidate in this race, Siegel possesses some professional ties to Quan. The outspoken progressive served as a legal aide to Quan early in her current first-term before abruptly quitting in protest of her handling of the Occupy Oakland protesters encamped at Frank Ogawa Plaza.
Early last year, Siegel spoke critically of the city’s decision to hire William Bratton as a police consultant and worked recently with inmates at Pelican Bay State Prison who protested state budget cuts with a lengthy hunger strike.
The addition of Siegel to the race likely fills a gaping hole on the far left of the race’s political spectrum. Although, Quan can reasonably be labeled a progressive, her tough stances, for instance, against Occupy, represents a considerable black mark on her liberal credentials. Meanwhile, Schaaf, Parker and Tuman strike more moderate stances, primarily on the issue of public safety.
ebcitizen.com 
Siegel, yet another candidate with progressive credentials, but no mention of how to deal with crime. Jerry failed on crime but pushed for new housing growth and economic development. Quan has ideas but no leadership skills. Would be great to have another strong candidate of color.
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I would not underestimate Quan
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Big problem for Quan. Incumbents lose when the face challenges from the right and the left.
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One wonders what the writer means buy “progressive.” No doubt some ideological thingy he's come up with.
I think that “progressive” means positive social change which Quan and the other candidates who have been her cronies, have prevented for very many years. Change means less proverty and discrimination in East Oakland and West Oakland where there is no much violence and other crime. Change means enlightened policies to improve air quality in asthma hotspots along some of Oakland's freeways. Change means managing money so that it can feed the needs of poorer citizens rather than lawyers suing Oakland for misdeeds. Change means using contemporary urban planning methods to bring communities together. Change does not mean depending on big corporations to develop projects here in the hopes that there will be some trickle down–change means investing in small businesses in deprived neighborhoods so that local communities and economics can actually grow.
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