Aimee Allison for City Council Campaign
http://www.AimeeAllison.org
April 19, 2005
Contact: Forrest Hill 510.593-0048 forrest_hill@comcast.net
Outsider Aimee Allison's insurgent campaign now top
contender for Wan's council seat, according to poll, official
endorsements
OAKLAND - Aimee Allison's insurgent campaign for
Oakland City Council has made her a top contender for the seat vacated
by Danny Wan, following his resignation in January.
"The race has essentially come down to a
contest between three candidates, Aimee Allison, David Kakishiba and Pat
Kernighan," said Wilson Riles, Jr., former city council member.
"I think pundits will be surprised come election day if they ignore
Aimee's campaign."
While no official polls have been released, there
are strong indications that Riles' assertion has substantial merit.
Kernighan, Danny Wan's former chief of staff and
early favorite to win, has already spent at least $5,000 on polling,
according to last month's financial records. Yet Kernighan's campaign
has not released any poll results, suggesting the race is much closer
than she had hoped, according to election observers.
Unexpectedly, an ongoing Oakland Post Poll actually
shows Allison with 53 percent support among district 2 residents, with
at Kakishiba at 42 percent and Kernighan trailing far behind at 3
percent. This is the only poll list on the Smart Voter's website hosted
by the League of Women Voters.
Endorsements received by city council candidates
also suggest the election is now a three way race.
"A survey of all of the candidates web sites
clearly shows that only Allison, Kakishiba, and Kernighan have a
significant amount of community support," said Greg Jan, Alameda
Green Party County Council Member. "They all have over 120
endorsements, while the next highest total among the five other
candidates is five.
"Kernighan is the leader in total endorsements
with 165, but she has the fewest number of organizational endorsements
among the three leaders with just four, while Allison and Kakishiba have
seven each," added Jan.
Allison is the leader in endorsements from current
and former elected officials with 13, while Kakishiba has 11, and
Kernighan has 10. (For a list of government officials and candidates and
organizations that have endorsed Allison, visit <http://www.aimeeallison.org/Endorsement2_04_08.php>.)
In terms of visible community support, only Allison
and Kakishiba have built a significant volunteer base. In fact Allison's
campaign now has over 300 regular volunteers in its database.
"I believe the reason so many people are drawn
to our campaign is that we are viewed as City Hall outsiders who are not
controlled by any vested interest," said Allison. "I think
when the votes are counted we are going to surprise a lot of the
so-called experts."
For more information:
Forrest Hill, media coordinator
Aimee Allison for City Council, District 2
510.593-0048
