The Berkeley Tenants Union is endorsing three candidates for ASUC (UC Berkeley’s official student association): Katelyn Chacon for External Affairs Vice President, Christopher Bailey for Senate, and Abdullah Memon for Senate. We believe that these three candidates will best advance BTU’s priorities of affordable housing and tenants’ rights, and encourage all UC Berkeley students to rank them at the top of their ballot.
Voting is open from now through Wednesday 11:59pm. All regularly enrolled UC Berkeley students – undergraduate and graduate – are eligible to vote in ASUC elections. If you’re a UC Berkeley student, vote now for Katelyn, Christopher, and Abdullah to support affordable housing and tenants’ rights!
Ads that link to here are paid for by the Berkeley Tenants Union PAC, FPPC #1469678. Major funding provided by the Berkeley Tenants Union, Berkeley, CA ($1,600).
Local Candidates and Ballot Measures
Alameda County Board of Supervisors: Nikki Fortunato Bas
Berkeley Mayor: Kate Harrison
Berkeley City Council District 2: Jenny Guarino
Berkeley City Council District 3
John Chip Moore (#1)
Ben Bartlett (#2 – recommended but not endorsed)
Berkeley Rent Board: Right to Housing Slate (Alfred Twu, Avery Arbaugh, Dominique Walker, and Xavier Johnson)
NO to recalling District Attorney Pamela Price
YES on Berkeley Measure W (Fund homeless services)
YES on Berkeley Measure Z (Soda tax)
YES on Berkeley Measure AA (Allow Berkeley to spend money voters have already approved)
YES on Berkeley Measure BB (Tenant Protection & Right to Organize Act)
NO on Berkeley Measure CC (Gut rent control ordinance and divert housing retention funds to a landlord slush fund)
YES on Berkeley Measure GG (Tax large buildings’ greenhouse gas emissions to fund building decarbonization retrofits using union labor)
YES on Berkeley Measure HH (Set minimum air quality standards in City of Berkeley buildings)
State Candidates and Ballot Measures
State Senate: Jovanka Beckles
State Assembly: Margot Smith
YES on Proposition 3 (Repeal Prop 8/Allow same-sex marriage)
YES on Proposition 5 (lower the vote approval threshold to 55% for local bond measures)
YES on Proposition 6 (Ban involuntary servitude, i.e. slavery)
YES on Proposition 32 (Minimum wage increase)
YES on Proposition 33 (Repeal Costa-Hawkins/Allow stronger rent control)
NO on Proposition 34 (Retaliatory scheme by big landlords to restrict the political activities of a single progressive nonprofit)
NO on Proposition 36 (Roll back Prop 47/Worsen mass incarceration)
Join us this Sunday, September 22 for our regular membership meeting! We will be meeting from 4:00pm to 5:30pm at Grassroots House (2022 Blake Street). The meeting will also be a potluck, and you can sign-up here to let everyone know what you’re bringing!
Finally, we’re excited to announce our guest speaker for this Sunday’s membership meeting is City Councilmember Cecilia Lunaparra!
Earlier this month, our members voted to make the following endorsements:
Right to Housing Slate (Avery, Alfred, Dominique, Xavier) for Rent Board
Jenny Guarino for City Council District 2
YES on Berkeley Measure W (Fund homeless services)
YES on Berkeley Measure AA (increase Berkeley’s appropriations limit for the next 4 years)
YES on Berkeley Measure BB (Tenant Protection & Right to Organize)
NO on Berkeley Measure CC (Gut rent control ordinance and divert housing retention funds to a landlord slush fund)
YES on Proposition 32 (minimum wage increase)
YES on Proposition 33 (repeal Costa-Hawkins)
YES on Proposition 6 (ban involuntary servitude)
Our members also voted to endorse Regional Measure 4 ($20 billion affordable housing bond). However, BAHFA voted to withdraw Measure 4 while our membership vote was ongoing.
Additionally, our members previously voted to endorse:
Nikki Fortunato Bas for Alameda County Supervisor
Margot Smith for State Assembly
Jovanka Beckles for State Senate
YES on Berkeley Measure GG (Tax large buildings’ greenhouse gas emissions to fund building decarbonization retrofits using union labor)
YES on Berkeley Measure HH (Set minimum air quality standards in City of Berkeley buildings)
NO on recalling Pamela Price
The BTU membership also previously voted to endorse YES on a ballot measure to repeal Article XXXIV of the California Constitution. However, the State Legislature subsequently withdrew that measure from the ballot.
We’re excited to announce that the Berkeley Tenants Unions membership has overwhelmingly voted to make the following endorsements:
People Powered Progressives Slate (Avery Arbaugh, Alfred Twu, Paola Laverde, Michael Cheng, Carol Coyote Cook, Sadia Khan, and John “Chip” Moore) for Alameda County Democratic Central Committee
YES on Berkeley Measure H (parcel tax renewal to fund schools)
YES on Alameda County Measure A (civil service)
YES on Alameda County Measure B (recalls)
OPPOSE recalling District Attorney Pamela Price
Additionally, the BTU membership previously voted to endorse:
Cecilia Lunaparra for Berkeley City Council District 7 (special election)
Nikki Bas for Alameda County Supervisor District 5
Margot Smith for State Assembly District 14
Jovanka Beckles for State Senate District 7
Barbara Lee for US Senate
YES on the Proposed Berkeley Measure to Strengthen the City’s Rent Control Ordinance
YES on the ballot measure to repeal Article XXXIV of the California Constitution (November)
A big thank you to everyone who voted on all of our endorsements.
We’re excited to announce that the Berkeley Tenants Unions membership has overwhelmingly voted to make the following endorsements:
Cecilia Lunaparra for Berkeley City Council District 7 (special election)
Nikki Bas for Alameda County Supervisor District 5
Margot Smith for State Assembly District 14
YES on the Proposed Berkeley Measure to Strengthen the City’s Rent Control Ordinance
Additionally, the BTU membership previously voted to endorse:
Barbara Lee for US Senate
Jovanka Beckles for State Senate District 7
YES on the ballot measure to repeal Article XXXIV of the California Constitution (November)
A big thank you to everyone who voted in this election. Additionally, members-in-good-standing should be on the look out for another membership ballot that will go out shortly.
At a meeting in January, BTU selected fellow Tenants Union member Kate Harrison as the best candidate for renters in the District 4 Special Election for City Council.
Kate Harrison won overwhelming support at the endorsements meeting since she is already well-known for her leadership in getting the landlord tax passed last fall (Measure U1) as well as for her community work making sure big developers are forced to fund affordable units in Berkeley. Her platform also includes using a portion of the transfer tax on homes sold in Berkeley to fund even more low-income housing. Kate also wants to allow limited equity coops to use Housing Trust Fund money to purchase existing rental housing in order to keep it affordable.
The election is being held by mail to save costs. Ballots must be in by March 7th. The special election is needed because BTU member Jesse Arreguin, who was the District 4 Councilmember, was elected mayor last November.
Harrison Q&A
“I would like to expand the current program helping building owners pay for energy improvements through their property taxes to include safety improvements for artists’ live/work spaces to avoid repeating the tragedy at the Oakland Ghost Ship. We cannot afford to lose our creative community either through disaster or displacement.” http://www.berkeleyside.com/2017/02/07/district-4-candidate-kate-harrison/
Berkeley Tenants Union members voted overwhelmingly to support BTU member Kate Harrison for City Council in the upcoming special election.
On Sunday, BTU joined with old friends Berkeley Citizens Action and new allies Berkeley Progressive Alliance to host a forum between the two candidates for District 4, Berkeley’s downtown City Council district. Berkeley will hold an election by mail to fill the seat left open when BTU member Jesse Arreguin became Mayor. Ballots must be postmarked by March 7.
Only about 20% of BTU members made the trek in heavy rains to cast a vote, yet almost every audience member submitted a question for the forum. The majority of questions focused on housing, displacement, and homelessness, but police accountability was also an issue. To guide members in voting, BTU / BCA / BPA also distributed responses from Harrison and graduate student Ben Gould to members of the three groups before the meeting.
Gould was a good sport about supporting the landlord tax U1 in the last election, but he did tell the Daily Cal that the main differences between himself and Kate Harrison are their policies regarding housing, so BTU voters should take a close look at both candidates.
More on Harrison
Former Mayor Gus Newport spoke at Harrison’s press conference. Harrison is already endorsed by Mayor-Elect Arreguín, UCB’s Progressive Student Alliance, Sandre Swanson, Jean Quan, Councilmembers-Elect Sophie Hahn and Ben Bartlett, and seven Rent Board Commissioners so far. http://www.dailycal.org/2016/11/30/kate-harrison-kicks-off-campaign-district-4-city-council-seat/
Harrison Has Experience
“As a leader in passing Measure U-1, Harrison led volunteer efforts to secure $4 million a year in new revenues from the windfall profits of Berkeley largest landlords. These new revenues are to use to create and preserve affordable housing for the people of Berkeley. Harrison earned her master’s degree in Public Policy from Berkeley’s Goldman School. In her professional career, Harrison has managed state and municipal budgets and improved government efficiency while ensuring vital public services are maintained and employees treated fairly. Harrison’s work experience includes policy and executive positions in the San Francisco Mayor’s Office under Art Agnos, and at the California Administrative Office of the Courts….” http://berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2016-11-25/article/45183?headline=Kate-Harrison-Enters-Berkeley-District-Four-Council-Race
![City Council Special Election
Register and vote at 2286 Shattuck Ave [NEW LOCATION!] on May 18 - May 27, 9am - 5pm and May 28 (Election Day), 7am-8pm! (Or if already registered, check your mail for your ballot!)
The ONLY candidates you can trust on tenants' rights, affordable housing, and other progressive values
[LOGO OF THE BERKELEY TENANTS UNION]
Berkeley Tenants Union
CITY COUNCIL D4 - DUAL ENDORSEMENT
[Photo of Elana Auerbach]
Elana Auerbach
[Photo of Soli Alpert]
Soli Alpert
Paid for by the Berkeley Tenants Union PAC, FPPC ID # Pending. Major Funding Provided by the Berkeley Tenants Union ($1,000). Please visit www.berkeleytenants.org for more information about the Berkeley Tenants Union.](https://www.berkeleytenants.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2024-D4-BTU-Flyer-2024-05-18-Flipped.jpg)
![City Council Special Election
Register to vote by May 13 (registertovote.ca.gov) to be sent a ballot by mail OR register and vote in-person May 18 - May 28, 9am-5pm at 1744 University Avenue.
The ONLY candidates you can trust on tenants' rights, affordable housing, and other progressive values
[Logo of the Berkeley Tenants Union]
Berkeley Tenants Union
CITY COUNCIL D4 - DUAL ENDORSEMENT
[Photo of Soli Alpert]
Soli Alpert
[Photo of Elana Auerbach]
Elana Auerbach
Paid for by the Berkeley Tenants Union PAC, FPPC ID # Pending. Major Funding Provided by the Berkeley Tenants Union ($653). Visit www.berkeleytenants.org for more information about the Berkeley Tenants Union.](https://www.berkeleytenants.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2024-D4-BTU-Flyer-2024-05-03-FIXED-1.jpg)
