San Francisco Mayor London Breed conceded the mayoral race to Daniel Lurie Thursday afternoon with a social media post congratulating his competitor.
The mayor also thanked the city and its residents for “the opportunity to serve the City that raised me” by the post on X just after 4:30 p.m. Thursday.
There had been rumors that Breed might concede the race earlier Thursday after falling behind Lurie in the race. latest vote count published Wednesday morning.
“Today I called Daniel Lurie and congratulated him on his victory in this election,” the message read. “Over the coming weeks, my team and I will work to ensure a smooth transition as he assumes the honor of becoming Mayor of San Francisco. I know we are both committed to improving this city we love.”
Breed spoke at a press conference less than an hour after the social media post to answer reporters’ questions about her decision, reiterating some of what she said in her social media post social.
“The city is booming. There’s more to the office than just one person and I called Daniel Lurie earlier today to congratulate him,” the mayor said. “And I’ve made it very clear that my team and I are ready to support him during his transition. We will always do everything we can to ensure the city succeeds and that there is a smooth transition, so that the work important that has been done and must continue in San Francisco.
When asked if this was the most difficult speech she’s ever given, Breed quickly dismissed the idea.
“No, it’s not. There have been other, harsher speeches. I mean, I had to make the difficult decision to shut down the city during a global pandemic. I had to face… to the racial reckoning that happened after the tragic death of George Floyd I had to go out in the middle of the night and tell people that Mayor Ed Lee had died.
Six years ago, holder London Breed became the first Black woman to serve as mayor of San Francisco following the death of Mayor Ed Lee in late 2017. The chairwoman of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors at the time was automatically appointed deputy mayor of the city early in the morning after Lee’s death.
In June 2018, Breed won the special election held to fill the positiondefeating his primary opponent, former state senator Mark Leno.
Breed faced a number of major challenges during her first term, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the city’s ongoing problems with drug addiction and homelessness, rising housing costs and a rise in retail crime which some chains cited as the reason for closing stores in San Francisco.
While Breed touted the progress in reducing the number of homeless encampments and pushed the programs to fill vacant commercial spaces downtownThe mayor’s difficulties led 11 other candidates to enter the race to challenge her for this position.
“Over the next few weeks, I plan to reflect on all the progress we have made. But today I am proud that we have truly accomplished so much and my heart is filled with gratitude,” concludes Breed’s message. “In my final two months as mayor, I will continue to lead this city as I have since day one – as San Francisco’s greatest champion.”
Daniel Lurie announced that he would speak to the media about the latest developments Friday morning.
