Oakland mayoral race: Loren Taylor yields to Sheng Thao in Oakland mayoral race, slams ranking vote

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) — Oakland mayoral candidate Loren Taylor conceded the race to his challenger, councilman Sheng Thao, on Tuesday.

It comes as Thao was still in the lead with the final release of Alameda County results Monday night.

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Councilman Taylor was the favorite from election night until Thao took the lead on Friday for the first time.

The latest numbers show the two are separated by just 680 votes thanks to ranked choice voting.

In his concession speech, Taylor said he simply didn’t see a viable path to winning this race after the latest batch of results were released, confirming he had called Thao on Tuesday morning to concede and congratulate her on her campaign. successful.

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But he says preferential-choice voting in Oakland isn’t working and needs to be addressed for future elections.

This comes after he got the most votes for first place in the ranking vote but still managed to get over 600 votes at the end, claiming that this system is a form of voter suppression.

“Seeing that the mere ballots that exist, the possibilities of getting a few votes in our direction, are not going to tip the scales,” he said. “I can see that Sheng Thao will be certified as the next mayor of Oakland.”

Taylor said he would not lead an effort for a possible recount in the future, but would support any member of the community if they choose to do so.

Thao tweeted Monday night that she would be “mayor for all of Oakland.”

“It’s been a long journey and I’m incredibly honored by the trust voters have placed in me,” Sheng said. “It was a very close election and I am proud to be elected as the next mayor of Oakland.”

Thao then thanked Taylor for his strong campaign and spoke of prioritizing the implementation of a comprehensive public safety plan when he takes office in January, doubling down on crime prevention programs. violence.

Alameda County has until Dec. 8 to certify those election results.

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