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| London Breed will finish the term of late San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, who died in December. Photo courtesy of London Breed/Facebook |
By Ray Downs, UPI
San Francisco voters elected the first black woman to preside as mayor of the city after a week-long period to count votes ended Wednesday.
London Breed, a Democrat who currently serves as president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, was finish the term of late San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, who died of a heart attack on Dec. 12. Her term will end in 2020, when she will be up for re-election.
"I'm so hopeful about the future of our city," Breed told a crowd of supporters Wednesday, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. "I'm looking forward to serving as your mayor, and I'm truly humbled and truly honored."
Breed beat fellow Democrat Mark Leno in a close race. Voting tallies had Breed up by 2,177 votes with 6,690 left to be counted. But Leno said it was clear Breed would win.
"Just doing the math, we do not see that it is likely to change," he said.
After Leno called Breed to concede, he said she was a "a remarkable young woman" and wished her "every success both personally and professionally in her new job as mayor of San Francisco."
"I'm a native San Franciscan -- I grew up in some of the most challenging of circumstances," she said. "I think the message that this sends to the next generation of young people growing up in this city, that no matter where you come from ... you can do anything you want to do."
Breed is a native San Franciscan who was raised by her grandmother in public housing. After earning her Master's degree in Public Administration from the University of San Francisco, she served as Executive Director of the African American Art & Culture Complex in the Western Addition neighborhood of San Francisco where she grew up. She also served as a San Francisco Redevelopment Agency Commissioner for five years before turning to public service in 2010.
"I'm a native San Franciscan -- I grew up in some of the most challenging of circumstances," Breed said, according to CNN. "I think the message that this sends to the next generation of young people growing up in this city, that no matter where you come from...you can do anything you want to do."
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