Friday, May 08, 2026

Kevin Voted Today (By Mail) - June 2, 2026 California Primary

Alameda County (California) flyer with "I Voted" sticker, on a brown wood surface

 

Federal Contests

  • United States Representative, 17th Congressional District: Ro Khanna
    • Election result (overall): TBD
    • Election result (Alameda County): TBD

State Contests

  • Governor: Tom Steyer
    • Election result (overall): TBD
    • Election result (Alameda County): TBD
  • Lieutenant Governor: Oliver Ma
    • Election result (overall): TBD
    • Election result (Alameda County): TBD
  • Secretary of State: Shirley Weber
    • Election result (overall): TBD
    • Election result (Alameda County): TBD
  • Controller: Meghann Adams
    • Election result (overall): TBD
    • Election result (Alameda County): TBD
  • Treasurer: Anna Cabellero
    • Election result (overall): TBD
    • Election result (Alameda County): TBD
  • Attorney General: Rob Bonta
    • Election result (overall): TBD
    • Election result (Alameda County): TBD
  • Insurance Commissioner: Jane Kim
    • Election result (overall): TBD
    • Election result (Alameda County): TBD
  • Member, State Board of Equalization, 2nd District: Sally Lieber
    • Election result (overall): TBD
    • Election result (Alameda County): TBD
  • State Assembly, 24th District: Alex Lee
    • Election result (overall): TBD
    • Election result (Alameda County): TBD
  • State Senator, 10th State Senate District: Anne Kepner
    • Election result (overall): TBD
    • Election result (Alameda County): TBD
  • State Superintendent of Public Instruction: Nichelle Henderson
    • Election result (overall): TBD
    • Election result (Alameda County): TBD

Nonpartisan Offices

Judicial

  • Superior Court Judge, Office #13: Cabral Bonner
    • Election result (overall): TBD
    • Election result (Alameda County): TBD
  • Superior Court Judge, Office #19: Selia Warren
    • Election result (overall): TBD
    • Election result (Alameda County): TBD
County of Alameda
  • County Superintendent of Schools: Alysse Castro
    • Election result (overall): TBD
    • Election result (Alameda County): TBD
  • County Supervisor, 2nd District: Elisa Mรกrquez
    • Election result (overall): TBD
    • Election result (Alameda County): TBD
  • District Attorney, Short Term: Ursula Jones Dickson
    • Election result (overall): TBD
    • Election result (Alameda County): TBD

RESOURCES

https://www.progressivevotersguide.com/california/2026/primary/city/fremont

  • Governor: Tom Steyer
  • Lieutenant Governor: Michael Tubbs
  • Secretary of State: Dr. Shirley Weber
  • Controller: Malia M. Cohen
  • Treasurer: No Endorsement
  • Attorney General: Rob Bonta
  • Insurance Commissioner: No Endorsement
  • Superintendent of Public Instruction: Nichelle Henderson or Richard Barrera
  • Board of Equalization, District 2: Sally Lieber  

https://lwvc.org/ballot-recommendations/ (note: "We do not endorse candidates or political parties")

https://brokeassstuart.com/2024/10/08/the-november-2024-bas-voter-guide/ (note: "...since we now take tax-free deductible, that means we can no longer publish voter guides where we endorse candidates", and BAS worked with the League of Pissed Off Voters)

https://www.theleaguesf.org/voter_guides (accessed 05/08/2026):

  • Governor: Tom Steyer
  • Lieutenant Governor: Oliver Ma
  • Secretary of State: Shirley Weber
  • Controller: Meghann Adams
  • Treasurer: No Endorsement
  • Attorney General: No Endorsement
  • Insurance Commissioner: Jane Kim
  • Superintendent of Public Instruction: Richard Barrera
  • Board of Equalization, District 2: Sally Lieber 

https://bayrisingaction.org/voterguide/ (note: for candidate endorsements, they defer to California Working Families)

https://www.caworkingfamilies.org/bay-area

  • Governor: No endorsement
  • Lieutenant Governor: Michael Tubbs
  • Insurance Commissioner: Jane Kim
  • State Assembly District 20: Alex Lee
  • Board Of Equalization District 2: Sally Lieber

https://acdems.org/acdems-june-2026-endorsements/

  • Alameda County Superior Court Judge – Office 19, Selia Warren
  • Alameda County Supervisor – District 2, Hon. Elisa Mรกrquez
  • Alameda County District Attorney – Hon. Ursula Jones Dickson
  • Alameda County Superintendent of Schools – Hon. Alysse Castro

https://www.californiadsa.org/voterguide (accessed 05/08/2026)

  • Governor: Tom Steyer (note: phrased as "... the most progressive of the current viable candidates for governor is Tom Steyer. Time will tell whether he’s truly a class traitor.")
  • Lieutenant Governor: Oliver Ma
  • Secretary of State: No Endorsement
  • Controller: No Endorsement
  • Treasurer: No Endorsement
  • Attorney General: No Endorsement
  • Insurance Commissioner: Jane Kim ("Write-up coming soon!")
  • Superintendent of Public Instruction: Nichelle Henderson
  • Board of Equalization, District 2: Sally Lieber ("Write-up coming soon!")
  • AD-24: No recommendation
  • SD-10: Anne Kepner ("Write-up coming soon!")
  • CA-17: No Recommendation ("Write-up coming soon!")


RESULTS

TBD

https://alamedacountyca.gov/ 

Sunday, May 03, 2026

Running Journal - 2026-03-22 (Oakland Half-Marathon Race - Oakland Marathon)

Results of the Oakland Half-Marathon race (Oakland Marathon 2026): Chip Elapsed Time 2:59:18; Overall Pace 13:41/mile; Age Place 137th (M45 - 49, of 156); Gender Place 1,526th (of 1,692); Overall Place 2,580th (of 2,960).

Hotel & Parking 

Parking overnight was in the lower level of the Alexan Wester Garage. We had no troubles. Used ParkMobile, paying a flat-rate fee through midnight Saturday, then paying a flat-rate fee through midnight Sunday when we woke up. It does not allow canceling the ParkMobile session, so we just let it expire on Sunday at midnight and that was that.

Hotel this year was one night at the Kissel Uptown Oakland hotel. The lobby was a bit stuffy. Staff seemed oppressed by the stuffy temperatures but helpful. It seems we had vouchers for a drink at the bar, and some other discounts, but we chose to ignore them. Instead we ate dinner at Lula Restaurant (Ethiopian). It was about a 10-minute walk, and we tried the chicken tibs (Dawn) and vegetarian combo (me). Just a few other people, so it was quiet. The TV played soccer I think, and music was international pop. When we checked out the bartender/waitress asked us if we spoke Amharic ๐Ÿค” She was chatting with a man at the bar and perhaps was talking about sensitive topics?

Race gear

 

Race Day

Pre-race, walking along Lake Merritt in pre-dawn light
 

Crows cawed at us from trees as we walked to the starting line. Weather was clear and slightly cool but comfortable. 

In corral at 7:04 a.m. waiting for our wave to start
 

Arrived at the Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts around 6:30 a.m. A fluffy white dog reminded us of one from a previous year (maybe the same?). MC's for the pre-race identified themselves as Piper from Bay FC and Michelle (?) Dawn felt energized as the speakers began blasting Journey's 1981 hit Don't Stop Believin'. 

Ran the first 2 miles without stopping. Passed Clinton Square, the Little Saigon neighborhood arch on East 12th Street, Franklin Park, and back to Lake Merritt. 

On Grand, we passed by Tupac Shakur Way and Eastshore Park, then under Interstate 580 (I-580). The Grand Lake Theatre greeted us as the sun crested its roofline. 


Grand Lake Theater, Oakland

Grand Lake Theater, Oakland - Sinners is back, not sure if 70mm print ๐Ÿค”

Grand Lake Theater, Oakland, on the way back downtown


At Elwood Avenue (~2.5 mile mark) we began one of a handful of steep ascents. A short distance later another short climb (Vernon Street, I think) brought us to the course height of ~180 feet. Then a steep descent down toward the edge of Morcom Rose Garden, then a turn onto Monte Vista Avenue and descending, finally dumping out onto Piedmont Avenue.

The Piedmont Theatre had a quote, "The language of film is universal, as is the love for our popcorn" ๐ŸŒŸ

Piedmont Theatre, Oakland


Piedmont Theatre, Oakland - "The language of film is universal, as is the love for our popcorn" ๐Ÿ’œ

Piedmont seemed to have lots of eclectic small storefronts. Circled Piedmont Avenue Elementary School and retraced our steps back down Piedmont Avenue. 

Spectator Books' storefront tickled me, so grabbed a few photos. E.g., Jean-Luc Picard cardboard cutout saying "There are four rooms", and Dawn noticing the door had a poster for Assata Shakur. 

Spectator Books window and door displays ๐Ÿ––

Spectator Books window and door displays ๐Ÿ––

The course returned us to Grand Avenue by the Grand Lake Theatre. I was able to snap a photo of the Tupac Shakur Way sign. 

At this point we had completed roughly half of the half marathon. Still felt pretty good. 

Tupac Shakur Way commemorative plaque near Eastshore Park

Returning to Lake Merritt, we ran on the north side. Staff of Fairyland had temporarily remodeled their signage to honor 2026 Winter Olympics gold-medal figure skater Alyssa Liu, an Oakland native.

Children's FairyLiu - temporary rebranding of Fairyland to honor 2026 Winter Olympics gold-medal figure skater Alyssa Liu

We noticed a pair of runners in our "pace cohort", playing leapfrog with them a bit. I.e., we'd run, pass them, take a walk break, then they'd pass us. One wore a handmade sign honoring the recent passing of 
American Olympian and run/walk advocate Jeff Galloway, who died at the age of 80 on February 25, 2026. She eventually fell back or sped ahead, and we lost sight of her. However, we recognized her companion as a woman we had also kept pace with during the 2025 San Francisco marathon (City Half) ๐Ÿ™‚ We think she recognized us too, as she later briefly said hello and we exchanged a pleasant but short conversation before she continued past the half-marathon turnaround point at Bush Street. 

Speaking of the half-marathon turnaround, I randomly found the social media account of the volunteer stationed there, telling marathon runners to keep going and telling half marathoners to turn around ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿป

The rest of the run was very familiar to us (unlike the 1st half), as this was our third year running the downtown route. One nice sight--the Fox Theatre, which was used as the exterior establishing shots for the "The Lair" in SNEAKERS. Ran right past it (no photos turned out) ๐ŸŒŸ

Just before the half-marathon turnaround, a DJ was hyping-up runners outside Line 51 Brewing. He was dancing and had big smiles to everyone. Bravo.

Line 51 Brewing - DJ was pretty great

Water management: Dawn ran out of water sometime in the 2nd half, but between water stations and sharing mine, we were mostly OK. 

The final time was our 2nd-best effort! If I hadn't stopped to take as many photos, I'm 100% sure we would have had a PR. The last run through the tunnel was challenging to make in one running interval, but the cheering crowd carried us. ๐Ÿƒ๐Ÿป๐Ÿƒ๐Ÿป‍♀️ We made a sub-three-hour half marathon, which was our overall goal ๐ŸŽ–️

Post-event activities: We collected snacks into provided reusable bags, then walked the length of the tabling area to get medals. Watched briefly the musical act performing. We didn't stay for long though. The walk back to the hotel was about a mile and uneventful. 

Showered, packed, checked-out (same attendant as the previous day), then drove to Almond and Oak for our brunch reservation. 

Saw a few other runners seated inside. We requested a patio table and got seated about 15 minutes early, which was appreciated. Food was excellent. Cell reception was limited.  

This year might represent our favorite time at the Oakland running festival. 

Oakland Half Marathon 2026 medal (front)

Oakland Half Marathon 2026 medal (reverse)

 

Swag and post-race snacks & drink handouts

Post-run brunch at Almond & Oak, Oakland



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