Janani Ramachandran
Candidate for City Council Member, Oakland, District 4 · Councilmember/Attorney/Mother
Janani Ramachandran earned a bachelor's degree from Stanford University in 2014 and a law degree from UC Berkeley School of Law in 2020. Before her election, she worked as a case manager at a community health clinic serving immigrant mothers, then as a public interest attorney representing survivors of abuse, and served on the boards of violence-prevention nonprofits across Oakland. She was a Commissioner on the City of Oakland's Public Ethics Commission before joining the council, and serves on the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs. She assumed her council seat on January 2, 2023, becoming the youngest person elected to the Oakland City Council and its first South Asian and first LGBTQ woman of color member. An East Bay native, she is also a former professional musician.
Positions in brief
On the council, Ramachandran has focused on fiscal responsibility, restoring trust in City Hall, rejuvenating business corridors, and safer roads.
Ramachandran was a vocal opponent of linking the Coliseum redevelopment deal to the city budget in 2024, and investigated the city's failure to process hundreds of 911 dispatcher applications. Earlier in her tenure she said she wanted to restore trust in City Hall, rejuvenate business corridors, and make roads safer.
On the issues
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