KRON4 is your local election headquarters and as we approach next week’s midterm elections, we are shining a spotlight on candidates for Oakland mayor. We spoke individually with candidates and we are publishing interviews with those candidates who met our polling threshold of 10% according to a recent poll commissioned by the Oakland Chamber of Commerce.

Sheng Thao is a daughter of refugees who has lived in Oakland her entire adult life. She survived domestic violence with a newborn then went on to pursue a higher education. Thao graduated as valedictorian at Merritt College with an Associates Degree in paralegal studies. She then transferred to UC Berkeley and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in legal studies with a minor in city planning.

Her experience with Oakland City Hall began a decade ago as a paid intern. These last four years, Thao has served as councilmember, most recently as President Pro Tem.

Watch the video to hear her conversation with KRON4’s Ella Sogomonian about how she would tackle the issues.