The political playground of Oakland is heating up, and no, it’s not just the aftermath of Mayor Sheng Thao’s very public recall. On Tuesday night, the three candidates vying to take her place took the stage for their first mayoral forum ahead of the special election on April 15.

The contenders? You’ve got Barbara Lee, the long-serving congressional heavyweight; Loren Taylor, the former councilman who just can’t seem to shake off the ghost of Thao; and Renia Webb, Thao’s former chief of staff turned whistleblower, because who doesn’t love a good plot twist?

During the forum organized by a trio of housing and environmental advocacy groups, none of the candidates held back. Webb, for her part, recounted her dramatic exit from Thao’s administration, saying, “When I saw hints of corruption, I knew I had to bail. I’m not here to sell out Oakland,” she declared. Should we give her a gold star for honesty?

Lee, looking to leverage her decades of service, bragged about bringing federal lucre back to the community. “I’ve focused on local issues and securing billions for my city,” she proclaimed. Sure, let’s put that on a billboard, unless a certain orange guy gets elected again, of course.

Taylor offered up some classic platitudes about cleanliness and safety, emphasizing opportunities as the “core” of what Oakland needs. So, basically, he thinks Oakland needs to be a utopia. Good luck with that!

It’s all a bit lackluster, wouldn’t you agree? With such vague promises, one might hope for a little more meat on the bones as we move closer to the looming election date. Thankfully, more forums are on deck, so perhaps the candidates will find their voices or at least spice it up with some real ideas.

As Oakland gears up for this election, it’s clear citizens are eager for leadership that prioritizes real solutions over the typical political rhetoric. Here’s hoping for a fresh, scandal-free start for whoever takes that mayoral seat next.

Election Day might just reveal how serious Oaklanders are about putting someone in office who has their best interests at heart. After all, it can’t be worse than the soap opera we’ve witnessed lately, right?