Since 2019, the Bay Area Equity Atlas has tracked the diversity of elected officials in the Bay Area's 101 municipalities and nine counties. These leaders make important decisions that impact the 7.7 million people living in the region. For example, their decisions can influence the affordability of housing in the region and transportation that connects residents to jobs, grocery stores, and parks. Their choices have the potential to transform the systems that continue to lock 1.3 million economically insecure Bay Area residents out of opportunity and economic prosperity, and to design and advance policies and solutions that build a more just and equitable region.

Although racial diversity in elected office doesn’t equate to equitable policies, it matters that those with the lived experiences and community knowledge of historically excluded communities have a seat and voice at the table. However, those who hold political power don’t always reflect the full range of diverse experiences of their constituents. More people of color are running for office and winning local elections in the Bay Area, but top local electeds remain disproportionately white. Elected officials, regardless of race, have a role in representing and ensuring that our institutions work for all Bay Area residents.