The city of San Francisco has a new mayor. On Tuesday at exactly 4:12 p.m., Edwin M. Lee was sworn in as the 43rd Mayor of the City and County of San Francisco. He will fill the remainder of the term left open when Gavin Newson was elected lieutenant governor of California.
At exactly 4:11 p.m., Lee held the job of City Administrator for San Francisco. A job he apparently liked a lot. It was widely reported that when first asked if he would like to be considered for the position of mayor, he said no thanks.
Fast forward some political wrangling and a few international phone calls during a vacation in China and Lee changed his mind telling the good people of San Francisco he would serve if asked.
In a speech Tuesday afternoon, Lee pledged to be a mayor "for everyone."
"I am profoundly humbled by the confidence placed in me today and energized by this historic opportunity to serve the people of our great City as mayor," said Lee. "Today, on behalf of all San Franciscans, let us come together as a City to bridge that which may divide us and meet the challenges of governing in these difficult times."
Lee was born in Seattle and received a degree from the Boalt School of Law at U.C. Berkeley.
Lee is the first Asian-American mayor in San Francisco history.
