Former Congresswoman Barbara Lee won the election for mayor of Oakland

Barbara Lee prevailed in the election for mayor of Oakland, California. In what initially appeared to be an easy race for the former Democratic congresswoman, she ended up defeating fellow Democrat Loren Taylor by five points after nine rounds of voting. The electoral system used was that of preference order, recently criticized by Donald Trump.

Lee, who spent 27 years in the House of Representatives, presented herself as the most progressive candidate in this election, contrasting with Taylor's campaign rhetoric, which focused on fighting crime and restoring public order.

With this triumph, the 78-year-old Democrat will complete the term of Sheng Thao, who was ousted as mayor in November 2024 by more than 65% of the vote. She will assume her new post in the coming weeks and could opt for a second term in 2026.

"I accept your choice with a deep sense of responsibility, humility, and love. Oakland is a deeply divided City, and I answered the call to run, to unite our community—so that I can represent every voter, and we can all work together as One Oakland to solve our most pressing problems," Lee celebrated on her social media.

"For the past 100 days—and as I have for the past 30 years —I worked hard every day to continue to earn your trust, your respect, and your vote. I couldn’t be more proud of the margin of our collective win and our amazing coalition," she added.

Although Taylor initially outpolled Lee by about 1,300 votes, the former congresswoman was helped by the mail-in ballot and ranked-choice voting system, which President Trump had recently criticized on Truth Social.

Taylor thanked her supporters Saturday morning and acknowledged Lee's narrow win. "We built a movement that resonated across Oakland, echoing the national dialogue about the waning relevance of a Democratic Party that puts old-guard politics over improving the lives of everyday people. I pray that Mayor-Elect Lee fulfills her commitment to unify Oakland by authentically engaging the 47% of Oaklanders who voted for me and who want pragmatic results-driven leadership," she said.

With more than 400,000 residents, Oakland is the most populous city in Alameda County and the fourth most populous in the entire state of California. NBC News described the city as "deeply progressive and multicultural, the birthplace of the Black Panther Party and claimed by former Vice President Kamala Harris as her hometown."

In recent years, it has been facing severe problems with crime and law and order, leading to the ouster of Mayor Thao late last year.