April 20 (UPI) — Former California Rep. Barbara Lee has won the Oakland mayoral race and vowed to work with city residents to ease racial and economic tensions.
“Oakland is a deeply divided city,” Lee said after being calculated as the winner, and said that she “answered the call to run” so the community could address its issues together, NBC News reported.
“While I believe strongly in respecting the democratic voting process and boots will continue to be counted, the results are clear that the people of Oakland have elected me as your next mayor,” she continued. “Thank you, Oakland!”
Councilmember Loren Taylor conceded the race Saturday morning after it became clear that Lee’s lead was insurmountable. Lee made a brief appearance at an Easter event Sunday at the Arroyo Viejo Center where she thanked interim Mayor Kevin Jenkins for his work.
Lee, 78, represented Oakland in Congress for 27 years before retiring last year following an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Senate.
She was endorsed by a handful of California Democratic party stalwarts, including former Gov. Jerry Brown. Lee takes the place of former Mayor Sheng Thao after he was indicted on federal bribery, fraud and conspiracy charges in January.
With about 400,000 residents, Oakland is a deeply liberal city, the birthplace of the Black Panther Party and the hometown of former presidential contender Kamala Harris.
The city is contending with high homelessness, public drug use, gun crime and violence that prompted the fast food chain In-N-Out Burger to close one of its locations for the first time.
Oakland has about 400,000 residents and is deeply liberal and multicultural, the birthplace of the Black Panther Party and claimed by former Vice President Kamala Harris as her hometown.
But Oakland also is reeling from homeless tents, public drug use, illegal sideshows, gun violence and brazen robberies that prompted In-N-Out Burger to close its first location ever last year.
“We have to bring people here who understand the beauty and opportunities in Oakland and who will work with us to help us move this beautiful city forward,” she said Sunday, KQED reported.