Brown won an outright majority in the first round of the election, forgoing the need for a runoff.

[10] Brown entered what was already a crowded mayoral field in late October 1997, instantly becoming the race's frontrunner.

[10] Brown identified himself to be an independent, having declared himself to have left the Democratic Party.

[11] While Oakland had a weak mayor form of government, Brown was also campaigning to change this.

Ultimately, in November, Oakland's electorate voted by a landslide margin of 3 to 1 in support of Measure X, switching the city to a strong mayor system of governance prior to Brown taking office.