Cindy Chavez conceded the mayoral race to Matt Mahan, who is now the elected San Jose Mayor. Both mayoral candidates talked to NBC Bay Area’s Marianne Favro.
Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez conceded Wednesday to San Jose City Councilman Matt Mahan in the race to be San Jose's next mayor.
Mahan and Chavez both were looking to succeed outgoing Mayor Sam Liccardo as leader of the Bay Area's largest city. The two candidates raised a combined $8.5 million over the course of the campaign, the most expensive in the city's history.
Mahan has held onto a narrow lead of 4 or fewer points since Election Day as the candidates waited along with the rest of the city for all the results to come in. The final vote count was 51% for Mahan and 49% for Chavez, according to the latest from the Santa Clara County elections office.
"I think we prevailed because we gave a voice to those who were frustrated about paying high taxes and weren’t getting enough results when it came to homelessness, blight and accountability," Mahan told NBC Bay Area.
On the other hand, Chavez said she's "obviously disappointed that I don’t get to serve as mayor of San Jose, but I’m blessed to still be on the board of supervisors for two more years and work on issues of public safety housing and homeless."
When asked if she would consider running for mayor in two years, she said she would "certainly" consider it.
Chavez issued the following statement:
"Over the past year, our campaign brought together a broad coalition of support, including labor and business, environmentalists and innovators, educators and engineers, neighborhood leaders and elected officials – people representing every inch of San Jose and each of its diverse communities. We were all bound by the common goal of bringing new leadership to city hall with the capacity and experience to achieve results and restore a sense of hope and ambition of the city we can create together.
"And though we were not victorious, our message will carry on and live within the work I take on over the next two years as County supervisor – continuing to improve public safety, add more affordable housing and lift the homeless off our streets and out of our creeks and into permanent, supportive homes.
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"As your County supervisor, I remain committed to the city I love, and will continue to fight for our community, and all of those who want to live in a safer, more just and more equitable San Jose. My commitment to this city will never waiver.
"I have called Matt Mahan to wish him the best of luck in his two-year term as mayor. San Jose faces numerous challenges in the months and years ahead, requiring that we all work collaboratively with the entire City Council to reach meaningful and equitable solutions.
"We have seen worrying trends both nationally and locally, with candidates, their supporters and special interests showing a willingness to lie, distort, deceive, and even dehumanize their opponents. Such behavior not only feeds voter skepticism, it threatens our democracy.
"I am proud to have run a campaign of ideas and ideals, and to have shared my vision with so many in our community – a vision of hope, progress, inclusiveness and empowerment and of a future where San Jose truly serves as the cultural, political and economic capital of Silicon Valley."
As for Mahan, when asked what his first priority as mayor would be, he said the following:
"I ran on an accountable budget and I promised to make sure that our raises are tied to performance, so I’m going to push hard for those priorities."
During the election, none of Mahan's fellow council members supported him. NBC Bay Area asked if it feels he has uphill battle ahead when it comes to gaining support for his goals, and he said he has already reached out to council members to start talking with them about ways to improve the city.
Current San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo took to Twitter to acknowledge the race and said "Mayor Mahan will be a collaborative, dynamic, & thoughtful leader."
Mahan will take office in January and said he won’t be tied to his desk. He plans to get out in the community.
Bay City News contributed to this story.
