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Gay San Francisco Mayoral Candidate Mark Leno Concedes

London Breed becomes the first African American woman elected mayor of San Francisco.

Mark Leno, who was running to become San Francisco's first openly gay mayor, has conceded to London Breed, making her the first African American woman elected to the office.

Leno, who entered politics in 1998 as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, before going on to serve as a state senator until 2016, was locked in a tight race with Breed. He was down 2,177 votes on Wednesday, with about 6,690 ballots yet to be counted, according to the city Department of Elections, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post via Getty Images

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - MARCH 8: London Breed, candidate for San Francisco mayor speaks to supporters at her campaign headquarters in San Francisco, CA on March 8, 2018. A special election will be held on June 5 to fill the unexpired term of deceased Mayor Ed Lee. (Photo by Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Leno said it had become clear he wouldn't win, so he called “to wish her every success—personally and professionally—in her new job as mayor of San Francisco," and added that she would do a "very fine job."

"I’m so hopeful about the future of our city. I’m looking forward to serving as your mayor, and I’m truly humbled and truly honored," Breed, who is the Board of Supervisors president, told reporters on the steps of City Hall. "Whether you voted for me or not, as mayor I’ll be your mayor, too.”

Leno was seen as the more progressive of the two candidates, alongside Supervisor Jane Kim, who came in third. Leno and Kim told their supporters to place the other candidate as their second choice on the ranked-choice balloting. It looked as though that might be enough to sweep Leno into office, before Breed was able to pull ahead decisively.

Kim congratulated Breed, saying she was "proud to live in the largest city in America with a woman as mayor."

Breed thanked Leno and said the late Mayor Ed Lee, who died of a heart attack in December, was a “good man” who had “worked to move the city forward.” She will serve out his term, which runs to January 2020.

"The message that this sends to the next generation of young people growing up in this city is that no matter where you come from, no matter what you decide to do in life, you can do anything you want to do,” said Breed, who grew up in poverty, raised by her grandmother, with a brother in prison and a sister who died of a drug overdose.

She will appoint her replacement on the Board of Supervisors, which will be tasked with appointing a new president.

“San Franciscans made history this year, electing the first woman of color to ever serve as the city’s mayor," said Equality California Executive Director Rick Zbur. "While our friend Mark Leno ultimately came up short, he ran a strong race and will forever be a hero to the LGBTQ community in San Francisco—the cradle of the LGBTQ civil rights movement—and across our state."

"Indeed, many of the critical protections that LGBTQ Californians enjoy today are thanks to his dedicated leadership. Although we are disappointed that we weren't able to shatter City Hall's rainbow glass ceiling this year, Equality California congratulates Mayor-Elect Breed, who has been a strong and effective advocate for equality and social justice, and we look forward to working with her administration to create a City of San Francisco and State of California that are healthy, just and fully equal for all LGBTQ people.”

A video of Breed addressing her supporters and members of the media follows.

"I never thought the opportunity to be mayor of the city and county of San Francisco was ever possible," she said. "Today we show the next generation of young people, many of them sitting in this front row...that anything is possible."

She called San Francisco "one of the best cities in the world" and pledged to tackle the city's issues, including homelessness, poverty, lack of affordable housing, and drug addiction.

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