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The Bay

Oakland Swears in Mayor Sheng Thao

Ericka Cruz GuevarraMarisa LagosScott Shafer
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Oakland mayoral candidate Sheng Thao speaks with a voter at Rockridge BART station in Oakland on Nov. 7, 2022. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

On Monday, Oakland will swear in Sheng Thao as the city’s new mayor and now one of the most prominent Hmong-American politicians in the country. Last November, she narrowly won the election against fellow-council member Loren Taylor by fewer than 700 votes and is getting ready to lead one of the largest cities in the Bay Area.

In a recent episode of Political Breakdown, hosts Marisa Lagos and Scott Shafer spoke with Thao about her journey to the mayor’s seat and how her experiences as a daughter of Laotian refugees, a single mother and a person who experienced homelessness will shape her approach to the job.


This episode of the Political Breakdown podcast first aired on Dec. 29, 2022.

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