A grassroots, community-driven campaign supported by public financing enabled election of a young, non-wealthy candidate as Berkeley's mayor. The mayor holds distinctions as the city's youngest woman mayor, first woman of color, and first Asian American mayor. Berkeley's public financing system provides a 6-to-1 match on small-dollar donations of $60 or less, empowering regular donors. The mayoral campaign raised just over $200,000 without large donations, allowing competition against two well-connected, previously elected officials. Polling shows widespread voter concern about big-money influence: Gallup found 20% satisfied with federal campaign finance laws in 2019, and a 2024 California poll found 81% say big-money contributors have too much influence.
When I entered my new office at Berkeley City Hall after winning the mayoral election, I knew this wasn't just a personal victory. It was a victory for anyone who ever thought, I want to make a difference in my community, how can I afford to run for office? I was elected as the youngest woman mayor in our city's history, our first woman of color, and the first Asian American mayor of Berkeley.
Berkeley is paving a different path. Our robust public financing system features a 6-to-1 match on small-dollar donations of $60 or less, giving regular folks real power to support candidates they believe in. Thanks to this program, my mayoral campaign was able to raise just over $200,000 without any large donations enough to compete against two well-connected, previously elected officials.
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