Two UC students vying to replace Berkeley councilmember who stepped down to harassment, burnout – The Mercury News

BERKELEY — Two candidates have thrown their hats into the race to represent Berkeley’s District 7, a part of the city largely populated by college students.

Cecilia Lunaparra, a history and urban studies major at UC Berkeley, and James Chang, chief of staff to council member Ben Bartlett and graduate student at the Haas School of Business, are seeking to replace former council member Rigel Robinson , who resigned from his position. board and withdrew from the mayoral race earlier this year, citing escalating harassment, burnout and a desire to focus on his family.

Both Lunaparra and Chang have experience organizing change in the city. Chang, 33, traces his activist roots to his undergraduate studies at UC Berkeley more than a decade ago and has spent the past six years working to help Bartlett, who represents South Berkeley in District 3 and former District 7 Council Member Kriss Worthington.

“Everyone who runs for office will go out of their way to tell you they’re not a politician, but I always grew up knowing that’s what I wanted to do,” Chang said. “It’s about having a North Star and not doing it for yourself, but doing it because you want to make people’s lives better.”

Lunaparra, 22, who served for nearly two years on the city’s Environment and Climate Commission, advocated for Measure M, a tax on vacant homes approved by voters in 2022, to be placed on the ballot, led trainings on how to provide public comment at council meetings, and advocated for a pedestrian plaza on Telegraph Avenue as a member of Telegraph for People.

Prior to her time at Berkeley, Lunaparra organized as a high school student, founding San Mateo Union High School District Awareness, a small group of students advocating for policy changes at the district level. She also served as a legislative intern for San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa.

“We are repeatedly reminded of our supposed lack of experience, our supposed idealism, our supposed stubbornness, as if our new perspectives were not vital to a sustainable democracy,” Lunaparra said of those who said that she was too young for the job. “Berkeley needs a new perspective.”

Both candidates are strong advocates for investing in climate initiatives and want the public, especially students, to have better access to city services and their leaders.

On public safety, they both called for better street lighting and a change in policing practices in the city, with an emphasis on better responses to mental health crises. Chang noted that black residents are disproportionately represented during traffic stops, while Lunaparra argued against the criminalization of the homeless.

They differ, however, on the city’s key hot topics. Lunaparra is optimistic in his support for preserving People’s Park, a 2.8-acre tract of land owned by UC and planned for development, as a green community space known for decades as a hub for activists. Chang supports the university’s plans to build 1,100 beds for students and 100 beds for formerly homeless people on the site, while retaining two-thirds of the land as open green space. Only 22% of UC Berkeley’s 45,000 students are housed on campus.

Regarding calls for a ceasefire resolution regarding the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, Chang said he did not believe the Council should intervene in foreign affairs. Instead, he said community events could highlight different cultures, helping to build bridges.

Lunaparra, on the other hand, noted that Berkeley had a history of speaking out on international issues, having condemned apartheid in South Africa in 1972. She said her ideal resolution would be crafted after speaking with the community and would call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. and the return of Israeli hostages held by Hamas, among other demands.

“Local governments have a responsibility, as people in power, to speak out on things like this when they affect our community,” Lunaparra said. “The city’s violent silence on ethnic cleansing speaks volumes, especially considering we have already weighed in on other issues. Berkeley has a responsibility to call for peace, to unify our city against injustice, as it has in the past.”

Candidates also differ from each other in their vision of how long they would like to serve on the board if elected. Lunaparra said she would complete Robinson’s term, which ends in 2026, after which she would step aside to allow another young person to take office. Chang, on the other hand, did not rule out another attempt, saying that important work often requires time and patience.

District 7 absentee ballots were sent out on March 18 and should be due by April 16. In-person voting for the District 7 race can take place at the YWCA Berkeley/Oakland, 2600 Bancroft Way, starting April 6. in front of Berkeley City Hall at 2180 Milvia St. and on the UC Berkeley campus between Sather Gate and the Architects and Engineers Building.

Voters in District 4 will also soon vote for their new representative after Councilwoman Kate Harrison announced she would resign just weeks after Robinson, with the reason being the city’s broken process. District 4 residents, those living in downtown and central Berkeley, have until May 13 to register to vote. Voting by mail will begin on April 29 and ballots will be due by May 28.