While Election Day was nearly a month ago, the race for Sacramento mayor remains undecided.
Early results show Assembly member Kevin McCarty holds a lead with 50.7% of the 187,988 ballots counted so far. Epidemiologist Dr. Flojaune Cofer follows with 49.3%, just 2,632 votes behind McCarty.
On Tuesday night, McCarty declared victory in a post on social media.
"I am honored to be the next Mayor of Sacramento," he said. "Thank you to my incredible supporters and campaign team, whose dedication and hard work made this victory possible. I also want to congratulate Dr. Cofer for running a spirited and passionate campaign."
Cofer, however, has not conceded the race. Instead, in a Tuesday night post on Instagram, she said, "My 42nd birthday wish is to count every vote because every vote matters!"
"I am deeply committed to the democratic process and amplifying the voices of every Sacramentan," she continued. "That's why I'm waiting until every single vote is counted before making any statements about the outcome of this election."
She also urged Sacramento residents to check to see if their vote has been counted by visiting the county's voter portal. As of Tuesday night, roughly 8,624 ballots remain to be counted county wide, according to county data.
“With the latest county election update, it is clear that the race has been decided,” McCarty’s campaign said in an emailed statement. “The McCarty vote tally is 2,632 over Cofer with an estimated 2,500 total votes left to be counted in the city.”
Sacramento County said it’s unable to say how many outstanding ballots are left within city limits. However, Paul Mitchell with Political Data Inc. explained that when you multiply the county estimate by the 30% of Sacramento County voters who live within city limits, that comes to 2,587 — if all those ballots were actually valid.
On Wednesday morning, McCarty held a victory press conference inside of City Hall. Although the race has yet to be officially called, he said it “came down to essentially almost a coin flip.”
“I realize that they want change, and I’m leaning in to provide just that,” he added.
Assembly member Kevin McCarty speaks during a press conference at Sacramento City Hall on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024.Megan Myscofski/CapRadio
In an interview with CapRadio’s Insight Host Vicki Gonzalez, Cofer said she is open to asking for a recount once all the votes are counted.
“It's something certainly that we should consider exploring, especially given how close the race is,” she said. “It is important that every vote is counted. That is just a matter of personal integrity to me. I'm happy to respect whatever the outcome is, but I want to wait for that outcome.”
Sacramento County will certify election results on Dec. 3. Sacramento’s next mayor will be sworn in on Dec. 10.
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