Berkeleyside reports that nominations for the District 7 council seat will be open next week and will be closed on February 16th. Ballots will be mailed to each registered voter within the district, but there will also be in-person polls, where voters can register and cast their ballots on the same day.
The special election will cost the city about $50,000. The winner of the election will succeed Robinson, who was serving in his second term on the council before he abruptly resigned.The former councilman claimed he’d been harassed, stalked and threatened over various policy stances, including his support for the development of People’s Park – which has been cordoned off by police in preparation for the construction of a 1,100-room student housing complex.
Berkeley City Council meetings have become one of several heated public forums in recent months, where debate over a ceasefire resolution for Gaza – in the wake of Israel’s continuing invasion of the territory – has sparked sharp debate and verbal threats against city officials.
In 2018, Robinson, then 22, became the youngest person ever elected to the city council, shortly after graduating from UC-Berkeley. He was re-elected four years later and was a candidate this year for Berkeley Mayor.
