San Francisco Mayor London Breed conceded the mayoral race to Daniel Lurie in a social media post on Thursday, thanking the city for the opportunity to serve. She called Lurie to congratulate him and expressed her commitment to ensuring a smooth transition as he takes over as mayor. Breed spoke at a press conference to answer questions, emphasizing that the office is bigger than one person and that she stands ready to support Lurie during his transition.
Breed had previously made history as the first Black woman to serve as mayor of San Francisco in 2017 after the death of Mayor Ed Lee. In a special election held in 2018, she won the office, defeating her main opponent, former state senator Mark Leno. During her first term in office, Breed faced challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, drug abuse, homelessness, rising housing costs, and retail crime. Despite progress in reducing homeless encampments and filling vacant business spaces, Breed faced competition from 11 other candidates in the race for mayor.
Reflecting on her accomplishments during her term, Breed expressed gratitude for the progress made and her pride in leading the city. She plans to continue serving as mayor in her final two months, championing San Francisco. Daniel Lurie, the incoming mayor, has announced that he will address the media about the latest developments in the mayoral race on Friday morning. Despite the challenges she faced during her term, Breed remains committed to the success of San Francisco and ensuring a smooth transition of power to the new mayor.
In her concession speech, Breed acknowledged the difficult decisions she had to make during her time as mayor, citing moments such as closing the city during the pandemic and addressing issues related to racial justice. She highlighted the importance of supporting the new mayor and ensuring that the work done in San Francisco continues to move forward. Breed’s decision to concede the race and support Lurie is seen as a demonstration of her dedication to the city and her commitment to its success.
Overall, Breed’s concession speech marks the end of her term as mayor of San Francisco and the beginning of a new chapter for the city under the leadership of Daniel Lurie. Her legacy as the city’s first Black female mayor and her efforts to address various challenges faced by the city are acknowledged in her final remarks. As she prepares to transition out of office, Breed remains focused on supporting the city and continuing to advocate for its residents.
