Malia Vella Wins Alameda Mayor Race With 47% as Oakland Detours Bus

Municipal leadership transitions and street infrastructure work shaped East Bay civic news on Monday as former Alameda Vice Mayor Malia Vella secured a decisive victory in the 2026 Alameda Mayor's race and City of Oakland construction prompted an AC Transit stop closure along Line 22 at Lakeshore Avenue and MacArthur Boulevard.

Malia Vella Wins Alameda Mayor's Race With 47% of the Vote

According to November 2026 general election returns from the Alameda County Registrar of Voters reported by Alameda Post staff writer and UC Local News Fellow Desmond Bracken (placed with the publication through summer 2028), Malia Vella will serve as Alameda's next mayor after capturing approximately 47% of the vote. Vella established a commanding margin over rivals Tracy Jensen, who received about 28% of the vote, and Tony Daysog, who received about 25%. Both Jensen and Daysog conceded the race on Friday, November 6, the same day Vella thanked voters in a Facebook statement.

Previously elected to the Alameda City Council in 2016 and reelected in 2020, Vella served as Vice Mayor from 2020 to 2022 and received formal recognition from the City of Alameda for her council service in 2024. Prior to her mayoral run, she worked at the California Department of Education in the office of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction and served on the governing boards of both the Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) and the Alameda Health Care District.

Campaigning as a native Alamedan focused on housing expansion, affordability, economic development at Alameda Point, and island climate resiliency, Vella also advocated strongly for Measure L, the City of Alameda's $300 million bond measure dedicated to deferred municipal infrastructure projects. Her campaign carried endorsements from outgoing Mayor Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft, the Alameda County Democratic Party, the City of Alameda Democratic Club, IAFF Local 689 (representing Alameda firefighters), and SEIU UHW (representing Alameda Hospital). Mayor-elect Vella is scheduled to be sworn into office alongside incoming City Council members during the December 15 council meeting at Alameda City Hall.

City of Oakland Construction Reroutes AC Transit Line 22 at Stop 54900

In neighboring Oakland, AC Transit issued an operational service alert on Monday, November 9, 2026, announcing the temporary closure of the bus stop at Lakeshore Avenue and MacArthur Boulevard (Stop ID 54900) due to municipal street construction by the City of Oakland.

The closure took effect immediately through 3:30 p.m. on November 9 for buses operating on Line 22 toward Downtown Berkeley. Transit officials instructed riders boarding along the Lakeshore Avenue and MacArthur Boulevard corridor to use the designated temporary stop located on MacArthur Boulevard at Excelsior Avenue while street work proceeded.