Pro-Tenant Slate Sweeps 2020 Berkeley Rent Board Election

On Tuesday, December 1, the Alameda County Registrar of Voters published the final update to the results of the November 2020 election. These final results confirmed that the pro-tenant slate for the Berkeley Rent Board – comprised of Leah Simon-Weisberg, Xavier Johnson, Andy Kelley, Dominique Walker, and Mari Mendonca – won all five seats up for election to the Berkeley Rent Board.

The pro-tenant slate’s sweep came in spite of big real estate spending over $100,000 to try to stop them and buy the seats for the Slate’s anti-tenant opponents. Their win represents a crucial victory for all tenants and all Berkeley residents who care about tenants’ rights and affordable housing.

The pro-tenant slate was democratically nominated in July at the largest-ever Berkeley Rent Board Convention. Voting at the Convention was open to all Berkeley residents – including students, undocumented residents and other non-citizens, residents under 18, and unhoused residents – who fully support rent control. Berkeley residents who had temporarily left due to COVID and/or summer break but intended to return to Berkeley as soon at it is safe and/or feasible to do so were also allowed to cast a ballot.