Key Facts
Background
Janani Ramachandran received a B.A. in International Relations from Stanford University and a J.D. from UC Berkeley School of Law [2]. She is a public interest attorney and currently serves on the CA Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs and as an Associate Member of the Alameda County Democratic Party. Ramachandran previously worked as a Workers Rights Staff Attorney for Centro Legal de la Raza, as an attorney at Family Violence Appellate Project, and served on the Oakland Public Ethics Commission [4]. She has also worked as a home-visiting care manager at a community health clinic and founded and led the clinic’s domestic violence advocacy program. She volunteers with APTP’s Mental Health First program and has been a Fellow with the Oakland New Leaders Council, the LGBTQ Victory Empowerment Fellowship, and Equity California’s Northern California Leadership Fellowship [3].
Ramachandran identifies as LGBTQ and lives in Oakland [4].
Key Issues
Public Safety
Ramachandran wants to decrease police response times and overtime by having a fully staffed patrol. She wants to invest in community policing and violence prevention programs such as providing economic opportunities for vulnerable youth. She supports the use of the Mobile Assistance Community Responders of Oakland program to respond to non-violent situations [4].
Environment
Ramachandran wants to implement a robust vegetation management plan, a wildfire prevention assessment district, and neighborhood preparedness programs [4].
Infrastructure
Ramachandran wants to repair street damage, reduce illegal dumping, and increase access to green spaces [4].
Transportation
Ramachandran wants to increase pedestrian and biker safety by addressing reckless driving [4].
Homelessness
Ramachandran wants to establish pathways to permanent housing and provide comprehensive mental health and addiction treatment services. She supports the construction of safe tiny homes [4].
Housing
Ramachandran wants to enact a comprehensive inclusionary zoning ordinance and re-structure impact fees for residential and commercial development. She supports building on publicly-owned lands [4].
Economy
Ramachandran wants to support small businesses by offering financial and technical assistance, ensuring residential corridors are safe and clean, and simplifying bureaucratic processes [4].
Endorsements
East Bay Times; Indivisible East Bay; Ro Khanna, Congressman; Blue America; Communities for a Better Environment Action; 350.org; Sunrise Movement Bay Area; Our Revolution California; Equality California; Bay Area Reporter; CWA Local 9415; ILWU NCDC; Oakland Tenants Union; South Alameda County Democratic Club; Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club; Oakland Easy Bay Democratic Club; Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club; Down Ballot Progress; Project Super Bloom; Communities for a Better Environment; Our Revolution Easy Bay; LGBTQ Women PAC; IA Impact; PDA-CA; Christopher Christensen, District 17 ADEM delegate; Maria Esteves, District 16 ADEM delegate; Zacharia Oquenda, District 20 ADEM delegate; Richard Santos Raya, District 18 ADEM delegate; Kieryn Darkwater, District 18 ADEM delegate; Rodney Nickens, District 18 ADEM delegate; James Slater Solomon, Ward E Councilperson Jersey City; Fatima Iqbal-Zubair, AD64 Executive Board Member, California Democratic Party; Judge Lina Hidalgo of Harris County; Susan Landry, Councilwoman, Campbell City Council; Kitty Moore, Councilmember, Cupertino City Council; Jonathan Wiley, Councilmember, Cupertino City Council; James Coleman, South San Francisco City Councilmember; Aziz Akbari, President of Alameda County Water District; Jenny Kassan, Fremont City Councilmember; Ty Alper, President of Berkeley School Board; Trish Herrera Spencer, Alameda Councilmember, Former Mayor; Ken Berrick, Alameda County Board of Education, Trustee Area 3; Bobbi Lopez, Alameda County Democratic Party Central Committee Member; Desley Brooks, Former Oakland City Councilmember; Mike Hutchinson, District 5 Director, Oakland Unified School District; Robert Raburn, BART Director District 4; Assemblymember Alex Lee; Allyssa Victory, District 18 ADEM delegate; Reverend Toniya Scott Smith (Sistah Tu); Emily Peterson, Oakland Community Democracy Project; Joel Beinin, Professor (retired) at Stanford University; Cirian Villavicencio, Professor and Chair, Dept. of Political Science, San Joaquin Delta College; Linda Hess, Professor (retired) at Stanford University; Nancy Lemon, Professor, Berkeley Law, Author, Domestic Violence Law; Julia Weber, Domestic and Gun Violence Legal Expert; Marc Janowitz, Senior Tenant Attorney and former Commissioner, Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board; Randy Shaw, Executive Director of Tenderloin Housing Clinic; Nayeli Maxson Velasquez, Former CEO of the Alliance for Community Development; Maria Gomez, R.N. and President, Mary’s Center; Chaney Turner, Founder, Town Biz and Beyond Equity; Olaywa Austin, Founder, Oakland Black Pride; Nino Parker, Oakland Unhoused Community; Eddie Ytuarte, Oakland Tenants Rights Leader; Devon Gaster, Executive Director, Men Creating Peace; Alton Jelks, Lecturer, Cal State University; Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean of Berkeley Law; Saabir Lockett, Community Activist, Faith Leader, OAB-CJOC Commissioner; Don Lacy, Oakland Community Nonviolence Leader; Gene Hazzard, Oakland community activist; Amos White, Vice Chair, Climate Emergency Mobilization Task Force; Alfred Twu, Artist and Activist; Reverend Sandhya Jha, Founder,; Oakland Peace Center; Fania Davis, Author, Civil Rights Attorney, Leading National Voice on Race and Restorative Justice; Minister Cherri Murphy, Lead Organizer with Gig Workers Rising and Faith Organizer with EBASE; Dan Wood, former delegate to the Democratic Party; Sophia Andary, Commissioner, Commission on the Status of Women San Francisco; Steve Toben, former Mayor of Portola Valley; John Howe, former Mayor of Sunnyvale; Shobana Ramamurthi, Human Relations Commissioner for City of Fremont; Vinnie Bacon, former Fremont City Councilmember; Kalen Gallager, Board President, Campbell Union High School District; Marí Domínguez, Chair of Alameda County Commission on Status of Women; Shanell Williams, President, Board of Trustees at City College of San Francisco; Esther Goolsby, Oakland Environmental Justice Leader, Former County Supervisor Candidate
Sources
1 Ballotpedia
2 LinkedIn
3 Voters Edge
4 Campaign Website
5 CA.gov
6 Twitter
7 The Oaklandside