Oakland mayoral candidate Loren Taylor concedes to Sheng Thao, slams ranked-choice voting
OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- Oakland Mayoral Candidate Loren Taylor has conceded the race to his competitor, council member Sheng Thao, on Tuesday.
This comes as Thao was still in the lead with Alameda County's final release of results Monday night.
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Council member Taylor had been the front-runner since 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 through ranked-choice voting.
In his concession speech, Taylor said he just doesn't see a viable path forward to winning this race after the last batch of results came out, confirming he called Thao Tuesday morning to concede and congratulate her on her successful campaign.
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But he says ranked choice voting in Oakland isn't working and needs to be addressed for future elections.
This comes after securing the highest number of first place votes in ranked-choice voting, but still somehow managing to come up more than 600 votes short in the end, claiming this system is a form of voter suppression.
"Seeing that the mere ballots that are out there, the possibilities of getting a few votes in our direction, are not going to tip the scale," he said. "I can see that Sheng Thao will be certified as Oakland's next mayor."
Taylor said he will not be leading an effort for a possible recount moving forward but says he will support any community member if they choose to do so.
VIDEO: Loren Taylor addresses supporters, concedes Oakland mayor race
Thao tweeted Monday night that she will be a "mayor for all of Oakland."
"It's been a long journey, and I'm incredibly honored by the trust the voters have placed in me," Sheng said. "This was a very close election and I am proud to be elected as Oakland's next mayor."
Thao went on to thank Taylor on the strong campaign he ran and talked about prioritizing implementing a comprehensive public safety plan when she takes office in January, doubling down on violence prevention programs.
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Current Mayor Libby Schaaf tweeted the following statement:
"Congratulations to Mayor-elect Sheng Thao - and to everyone who engaged in our democratic process, whether they stepped forward to run for office, volunteered for a campaign, or tallied votes. Your passionate engagement keeps our democracy strong. Now that the campaign is over, it is my greatest hope that residents and our newly-elected Councilmembers will unify for the good of Oakland and work together toward our shared goal of a bright future for all residents. I will support Mayor-elect @ShengForOakland and her team in the coming weeks to ensure a seamless transition, and I will continue to support our residents as we unite together for a stronger #Oakland."
Alameda County has until Dec. 8 to certify these election results.
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