Sheng Thao (RPA: Seeb Thoj, Pahawh: 𖬀𖬶𖬤𖬵 𖬒𖬲𖬟𖬰; born July 18, 1985) is an American politician who served as the 51st mayor of Oakland, California from 2023 to 2024.

Thao's administration faced a series of challenges, including public safety, business departures and budget deficits.

In June 2024, the FBI raided Thao's home, which she shares with her partner Andre Jones, as part of an ongoing investigation.

[11][1] Thao decided to run for office in 2018, when the election for the district 4 City Council seat was an open race, lacking an incumbent.

[22] As mayor-elect, her proposals included the development of 30,000 units of new housing over eight years, rent control and other protections for tenants, improving safety and sanitation for homeless residents, hiring more police officers, and increasing spending for education and violence prevention programs.

[25][26] Her campaign also received support from labor unions, the Alameda County Democratic Party, and Ro Khanna, the U.S. representative for the 17th congressional district of California.

[31][32] In June 2022, a former staffer filed an informal verbal complaint with the Public Ethics Commission that alleged Thao had Oakland City Council staff work on her campaign in a possible violation of state election laws.

[33] After the matter was reported by a political blogger that supported one of Thao's competitors in October 2022, the allegations gained media attention.

[42] Thao's administration faced criticism from community leaders after missing a deadline to apply for the Organized Retail Theft Prevention (ORTP) Grant Program.

[43] The grant awards cities millions of dollars to fight retail crime through allocating funds "to hire more officers, create task forces and develop investigative units.

[46][47] In her State of the City address on October 17, 2023, Thao discussed crime and public safety, including efforts to improve the 911 system, obtain new California Highway Patrol officers, and hire a person responsible for applying to grants.

Currently, Oakland only allows police pursuits when a suspect is armed with a gun or involved in a forcible violent crime,[50] a policy that has been in place since 2014.

In-N-Out, Denny's, Starbucks, Black Bear Diner, and Subway cited safety concerns for their employees and customers as the reasons for the closures.

[56] In a statement to KTVU, Thao said she prioritized public safety and said "that she added police presence and employed technology 'to deter and respond to criminal behavior.

'"[58] Thao's office provided statistics that showed a decline in some areas of crime in the Hegenberger Road corridor where In-N-Out was located.

[64][65] A $4.2 billion budget was passed by the city council in June 2023 to address the deficit with some department mergers, hiring freezes to prevent layoffs, and spending cuts.

[3] A small group of protestors rallied outside of Oakland City Hall calling for Thao to address a Juneteenth celebration mass shooting at Lake Merritt that wounded 15 people and the FBI raid at her home.

"[73] On July 10, 2024, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California issued a new subpoena that "appear to be after police reports related to the Duong family, the owners of the city’s recycling contractor".

[7][75][76] As of 2024, Sheng Thao was living with her partner, Andre Jones, and their two children in a 4-bedroom home on Maiden Lane in Oakland's Lincoln Highlands neighborhood.