Loren Taylor to file paperwork for Oakland mayor bid

(KRON) -- Loren Taylor appears to be ramping up to launch a formal bid for Oakland mayor. The former District 6 councilmember has already rolled out a campaign website and is expected to file campaign paperwork Thursday morning.

Taylor was narrowly defeated by former Mayor Sheng Thao in the 2022 Oakland mayoral election -- losing by just 677 votes in the city's ranked choice voting system. Thao was recalled in last November's election after a tumultuous two years in office during which the home she shared with her partner was raided by the FBI.

The former mayor suggested the raid was the result of a right-wing plot, which Taylor called "ridiculous."

A third-generation Oaklander, Taylor served on the board of directors for the West Oakland Health Council, was a board member of 100 Black Men of the Bay Area, and was an advisory council member for the Center for Youth Wellness. He represented Oakland's District 6 in the Oakland City Council from 2019 through 2023.