Former Congresswoman Barbara Lee has taken a strong lead in the Oakland mayoral race, securing 53% of the vote against former City Councilmember Loren Taylor’s 47%. The ranking-choice electoral system means official results may take weeks to finalize, but the San Francisco Chronicle has already projected Lee's election. Lee's victory comes in the wake of ongoing dissatisfaction with the former Mayor Sheng Thao, who faced recall efforts due to issues like crime and city finances, alongside an FBI investigation into corruption.
If the results hold, Lee, 78, a progressive icon who represented Oakland and surrounding areas in Congress for nearly three decades, would replace ousted Mayor Sheng Thao.
Lee's campaign held off on declaring victory Friday evening, although campaign officials released a statement calling the latest results 'encouraging.'
According to vote results released Friday evening, Lee moved ahead of her primary challenger in the race, former City Councilmember Loren Taylor, with 53% percent of the vote.
The San Francisco Chronicle called the race, declaring Lee 'has been elected Oakland's next mayor,' with her lead being commanding enough that it stood at 53% for Lee versus 47% for Taylor.
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