Progressive candidate Sheng Thao has taken a small lead in the Oakland mayor race. If elected, she would be the first Hmong American woman to lead a major U.S. city.
According to The San Francisco Chronicle, Thao has been trailing for 10 days after election night on November 8. Now, she is leading with 50.3% of the vote as of Friday night. The margin between her and her closest opponent Council Member Loren Taylor is 680 votes.
Thao’s campaign issued a cautious but optimistic statement on Friday, KQED reports.
“It’s been a long week-and-a-half and we have been humbled to watch the results shift in our favor with each passing day,” said Sheng Thao campaign strategist Noah Finneburgh. “With the latest results posted by the Registrar of Voters, we have taken the lead, with very few votes left to count. We thank the Registrar of Voters for working so diligently and we look forward to their official update on how many votes exactly remain to be counted. We are optimistic that our lead will hold and that Sheng Thao will be the next Mayor of Oakland.”
Taylor led after the first round of ballots was counted but Thao has taken the lead through ranked-choice voting. KQED reports that it will likely be a few more days before the results are determined. A winner will be declared after the Alameda County Registrar of Voters will complete an audit of the vote before the Oakland City Council.
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Thao is the daughter of Hmong refugees from Laos. She graduated from UC Berkeley after leaving an abusive relationship with her son’s father. Eventually, she became the first Hmong American to serve on the Oakland City Council.
Thao’s progressive ideas earned her endorsement from labor unions in Oakland and from the Alameda County Democratic party. She wants to help working families and establish more affordable housing.
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