Before 2010, San Leandro voters had never seen a city council incumbent lose re-election. With the aid of ranked-choice voting that year, San Leandro Mayor Tony Santos was upset by Stephen Cassidy. Two years ago, Councilmember Lee Thomas was narrowly… Read More ›
Lee Thomas
San Leandro candidate admonished by county for food service violations at campaign events
For more than a year, San Leandro City Council candidate Bryan Azevedo has been doing good deeds around town. He’s received notoriety for organizing outings to pick up litter around the city, helped seniors during the pandemic, and delivered food… Read More ›
Fencegate returns: San Leandro official who illegally built fence says, ‘We play by the rules’
The rivalry between San Leandro Councilmember Victor Aguilar, Jr. and the man he replaced on the city council, Lee Thomas, is easily the most bitter in all of East Bay politics. And following a newspaper article in which Aguilar, Jr…. Read More ›
Hubris or hypocrisy?
Unless somebody complains then, you know, I’ll submit an application for a modification.-San Leandro Councilmember Victor Aguilar, Jr., in an interview on June 6, admitting he had built an illegal fence on his property all the while politicizing his council… Read More ›
San Leandro Fencegate: Aguilar attacks Thomas’s character in social media post
A few hours after San Leandro Councilmember Victor Aguilar, Jr. was grilled last Thursday night by a planning and zoning commissioner who took umbrage with his attempt to secure a zoning variance for a fence he constructed without a permit,… Read More ›
San Leandro official knew his own fence was illegal when he criticized council opponent’s fence
Victor Aguilar, Jr. was already eyeing a rematch for the San Leandro City Council in 2018 when incumbent councilmember Lee Thomas got caught up in a unsubstantiated scandal that he used his influence as an elected official to receive city… Read More ›
San Leandro official illegally built a fence on his property even as he was publicly criticizing an opponent’s own plans
A fight over a neighbor’s fence is the most provincial of problems. But complaints of abuse of power last year against former San Leandro Councilmember Lee Thomas and his attempt to extend a fence on his property may have been… Read More ›
STEVE TAVARES IS ANGRY: Ep 26–Requiem for a bad mayor; Farewell to Lee Thomas
One clever Twitter user called Alameda Mayor Trish Spencer’s re-election defeat last month an “end to an error.” After covering Spencer for the last four years, I’ll break down the worst mayor that I’ve covering over the last decade in… Read More ›
Too-close-to-call all over the East Bay
At least five seats in various East Bay cities remain in doubt a week after the Nov. 6 election.
SAN LEANDRO: Benny Lee holds large early fundraising advantage over incumbent Mayor Cutter
San Leandro Councilmember Benny Lee’s ever-growing city council campaign coffers is coming in handy for his mayoral campaign this fall against first-term Mayor Pauline Russo Cutter. Lee transferred $50,000 from his council committee to his mayoral campaign last March—an already… Read More ›
ELECTIONLINE: Cassidy watch in San Leandro; Beckles endorsement; AD18 candidate wants to shrink Alameda Fire
SAN LEANDRO CITY COUNCIL D1 For the better part of the last year, San Leandro political parlor talk has been constantly included speculation over whether San Leandro Mayor Stephen Cassidy is interested in running for office this November. Any office,… Read More ›