by Elise Craig/BERKELEY

The Berkeley mayoral race was such a blowout that Tom Bates gave his acceptance speech with less than 45 percent of precincts reporting his victory over Shirley Dean.
“It’s still early, but you know what, I think the tide is turning in our favor,” he said.
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By Elise Craig/BERKELEY  Both Shirley Dean and Tom Bates’s mayoral campaigns have spent the last few days putting up lawn signs, only to have many of them stolen or torn apart.

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by Nick Burns/WEST BERKELEY

Local democratic campaign volunteers worked furiously into the night preparing for tomorrow’s historic election. Armed with cell phones, area residents manned tables at Berkeley’s United Democratic Campaign office to encourage voters to cast their ballots. Children of volunteers also participated in phone banking efforts, leaving messages pleading for residents to reelect Mayor Tom Bates and vote against Proposition 8, which seeks to ban gay marriage by amending the state constitution.

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Videos by Elise Craig & Nick Burns/WEST BERKELEY

On October 27, Berkeley’s four mayoral candidates faced off in a debate at the West Berkeley Senior Center. In the videos below, East Bay West Online highlights three major issues facing the community. Missed the debate? Get the full story here.

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By Elise Craig/BERKELEY

In an election cycle dominated by a message of change, the Berkeley mayor’s race stands out for being a choice between two people who have already held the very office they are running for.
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by Elise Craig/WEST BERKELEY

Former mayor Shirley Dean delivered the zinger of the night at Monday’s mayoral debate, eliciting laughter and applause from the crowd at the West Berkeley Senior Center. Read the full story

By Elise Craig/BERKELEY

For the second time in two weeks, incumbent Mayor Tom Bates was unable to fit an election debate into his schedule. Council Member Gordian Wozniak, District Eight, filled in for him and debated former mayor Shirley Dean at last night’s event, which was hosted by the Claremont Elmwood Neighborhood Association. Read the full story

by Elise Craig/BERKELEY

The Berkeley mayoral debate was missing one thing last night: the mayor.

“Is there scheduled or likely to be scheduled a mayoral debate that actually features Tom Bates?” asked resident Tony Hill.

Bates was unable to attend because he was already scheduled to appear at the Alameda County Conference of Mayors, according to Ariana Casanova, his campaign manager. The conference schedules its meetings approximately a year in advance. Casanova says she first received a call about the debate on September 26.

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