Valle died Feb. 8 from prostate cancer. It's the second death of a supervisor in less than 18 months. Supervisor Wilma Chan died in November 2021 after being hit by a car while crossing the street with her dog in Alameda.

The period to apply to be considered for appointment to supervisor for District 2 opened on March 1 and ends at 5 p.m. next Tuesday (March 14).

Applications can be picked up and returned at the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors office on the fifth floor of the County Administration Building at 1221 Oak St. in Oakland. Applications can be submitted in-person only.

"While we will meet our statutory requirements to fill Supervisor Valle's seat, we will never be able to replace his tremendous role on our board," Board President Nate Miley said in a statement.

"As President of the Board of Supervisors, I am committed to a robust public appointment process that allows District 2 residents, stakeholders, community groups and our partners in organized labor an opportunity to provide their input on who best to represent them on the Board of Supervisors," Miley said.

If the board fails to choose a replacement for Valle, Gov. Gavin Newsom will choose.

Controversy surrounded the choice to fill Chan's seat. Following her death, the board appointed her chief of staff Dave Brown, and that appointment was challenged in court.

Brown did not run for supervisor in 2022 and Lena Tam replaced him when she won over Oakland at-large City Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan.

Current supervisors will choose three applicants who will be interviewed at a regular or special meeting of the board. A majority vote of the four current supervisors is needed to choose Valle's replacement.

-- Keith Burbank, Bay City News