San Francisco Mayor London Breed conceded the mayoral race to Daniel Lurie Thursday afternoon with a social media post congratulating her competitor.
The mayor also thanked the city and its residents for “the opportunity to serve the city that raised me.” the message on X Thursday just after 4:30 p.m.
There were rumors that Breed would have to forfeit the race earlier Thursday after coming into the race behind Lurie final vote count released Wednesday morning.
“Today I called Daniel Lurie and congratulated him on his victory in this election,” the message said. “In the coming weeks, my staff and I will work to ensure a smooth transition as he assumes the honor of being Mayor of San Francisco. I know we are both committed to improving this city we love keep.”
Breed spoke at a news conference less than an hour after the social media post to answer reporters’ questions about her decision, repeating some of what she said in her social media post.
“The city is on the rise. The office is bigger than just one person, and I called Daniel Lurie earlier today to congratulate him,” the mayor said. “And I have 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’s success and that a smooth transition occurs so that the important work that has been done and must continue in San Francisco continues.”
When asked if this was the most difficult speech she had ever given, Breed quickly dismissed that idea.
‘No, it isn’t. There have been other harsher speeches. I mean, I had to make a tough decision to close the city during a global pandemic. I had to deal with… the racial reckoning that occurred 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. There are countless opportunities.”
Six years ago, sitting London race became the first Black woman to become mayor of San Francisco following the death of Mayor Ed Lee in late 2017. Then-Chairman of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors was automatically appointed acting mayor of the city early the morning after Lee’s death.
In June 2018, Breed won the special election held to fill the officedefeating her main opponent, former Senator Mark Leno.
Breed faced a number of significant challenges during her first term, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the city’s ongoing problems with drug abuse and homelessness, rising housing costs and a spike in retail crime that some chains cited as the reason behind closing stores in San Francisco.
While Breed has touted progress in reducing the number of homeless camps and programs pushed towards it filling vacant business spaces in the city centerthe mayor’s battle has led to 11 other candidates entering the race to challenge her for the job.
“In the coming 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,” Breed’s closing message read. “During 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 has announced that he will speak to the media on Friday morning about the latest developments.
