In a close contest for Oakland mayor, former city councilmember Loren Taylor is ahead of ex-Congresswoman Barbara Lee, with the outcome still uncertain due to uncounted ballots and the intricacies of ranked-choice voting as of yesterday's special election. The Alameda County Registrar of Voters shows Taylor with 23,229 votes, which is 51.17% of the vote, while Lee is trailing slightly with 24,347 votes or 48.83%, after nine rounds of ranked-choice vote tallies - turnout stood at 19.55% but will likely increase as mail ballots are processed, CBS News Bay Area reports.
This electoral showdown was set in motion following the recall of former Mayor Sheng Thao last year in a race that has seen Taylor and Lee emerge as the leading contenders amidst a field of ten candidates. The San Francisco Chronicle outlined Taylor as a "pragmatic progressive" and has previously come close to clinching the mayor's role, narrowly missing Thao by less than 700 votes in the 2022 election. Contrasting their appeal, Taylor drew most of his support from the Oakland Hills, whereas Lee found her base in North Oakland and the flatlands of East Oakland.
The electoral process in Oakland utilizes ranked-choice voting, a system that allows voters to rank candidates by preference; if no candidate secures a majority after the initial count, ranked votes are redistributed until one candidate surpasses the 50% threshold for victory. Despite the current standings, both candidates have communicated a need for patience as the counting continues. "We don't want to assume where things are going because we know there are still a lot of ballots out there," Taylor expressed optimism at an election night event, as noted by CBS News Bay Area. Lee shared a similar sentiment, conveying confidence and patience to her supporters, "It's still early, and so I'm optimistic that as the votes come in, we'll win."
