The Big Lead

Marshawn Lynch might run for mayor of Oakland

By Joe Lago

Oct 22, 2022; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears former running back Marshawn Lynch stands on the sideline during the second quarter against the Washington Huskies at FTX Field at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Oct 22, 2022; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears former running back Marshawn Lynch stands on the sideline during the second quarter against the Washington Huskies at FTX Field at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
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The de facto Prince of the East Bay might try to become Mayor of Oakland.

Marshawn Lynch, the beloved NFL running back who starred for Cal in Berkeley and played for the Raiders in Oakland, hinted at a possible run for mayor of his hometown on his podcast "Politickin'" with his agent Doug Hendrickson and California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

RELATED: Marshawn Lynch chosen as Cal's 'guest picker' on ESPN's 'College GameDay'

Lynch did not want to talk about his interest in making a mayoral run if scandal-plagued Oakland mayor Shen Thao is ousted, but his wishes were ignored by Newsom, who revealed private polling data that indicates Lynch's popularity within the city.

According to Newsom, 43% of the people polled have a favorable opinion of Lynch with just 7% holding an unfavorable opinion.

"That’s off the charts, brother,” Newsom said. “Seven percent unfavorable? That never has happened in my life."

Newsom added that Lynch polled well against other potential candidates, including some “folks people would know even nationally ... some former congressional folks."

"We don’t want to jump the gun just yet, from what I was told," Lynch said. “I got a good internal team, you know, and I want to make sure I take this offline with my internal team and make sure this is something that we really wanna do."

Lynch, however, recently told a confidant that running for Oakland mayor "might be a possibility,” according to Politico.

Lynch, nicknamed "Beastmode" for his physical style of running, played 12 years in the NFL, making the Pro Bowl five times and winning a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks. As a player, he shunned interviews, famously saying "I'm here so I won't get fined" during Super Bowl week media duties.

Since retiring from football in 2019, though, the 38-year-old Lynch has crafted a different public persona as a happy-go-lucky man of the people. He currently has an Amazon Prime Video show called "'N 'Yo City" in which he travels around the country to find new experiences.

Could Lynch solve the problems of Oakland? He most definitely loves his city, where he can be seen leading hundreds of people on city-wide bicycle rides, and civic pride and passion represent at least a good place to start for anyone contemplating public service.

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