There was a lead shift over the weekend in the race for Oakland’s next mayor.
Councilmember Loren Taylor, who won the most first place votes out of any candidate, is now trailing Councilmember Sheng Thao by a few hundred votes in the ranked choice instant runoff.
“Extremely close. Feeling good, there is more numbers coming out today so eager to see what those results are,” said Taylor at the annual Turkey Drive at the Arroyo Viejo Recreation Center, while distributing 450 turkeys ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.
He says he remains focused on community as results continue to come in.
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“This is a huge need but we also see that Oakland is stepping up in an incredible way,” said Taylor.
The lead changed after nearly two weeks of counting and waiting, with still around 2,000 votes left to be counted countywide.
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According to the county, another 2,500 votes have signature issues and those voters will still be given the opportunity to fix before the election is certified on Dec. 8.
Thao’s campaign said they are humbled by the shift, issuing a statement that said in part, "We are optimistic that our lead will hold and that sheng thao will be the next mayor of Oakland.”
For now it remains too close to call, and Taylor said that when the final votes are in, a recount could be in order. But, for now, he says he's trusting the process and staying patient.
“It would be great to know immediately, unfortunately that is not the case,” he said. “I’m grateful for our registrar's office and those who are working really hard behind the scenes to move things forward.”
Taylor will hold a press conference Tuesday morning. You can watch on the video player above.
