Oakland's incumbent Libby Schaaf wins second term, first mayor to do so in 16 years

OAKLAND, Calif. (KTVU) - Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf won handily on Election Day, becoming the first top city leader to win two terms since Jerry Brown in 2002.

With all the precincts reporting early on Wednesday morning, Schaaf won with 56 percent of the vote. Her top challengers, activist Cat Brooks earned 23 percent of the vote and civil rights attorney Pamela Price earned 13 percent.

Before she won, Schaaf held a party at her campaign headquarters in the Grand Lake District.  She vowed that when she won she would continue to help the city's most underserved. "Clearly the most pressing problem is homelessness," she said.

The mayor characterized her campaign as grassroots, but the city of Oakland has struggled with police sexual misconduct scandals and a rising homeless population as of late. Racial disparity, gentrification and economic opportunity were other hot-button issues this election. 

In other council races, Nikki Fortuno Bas beat incumbent Abel Guillen in District 2 with 51 percent of the vote; Shen Thao won with 33 percent of the vote in District 4, and Loren Taylor beat incumbent Desley Brooks with 39 percent of the vote.