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Oakland Mayoral Contest Boils Down To Perata And Quan

OAKLAND (KCBS) - Whether Mayor Ron Dellums will be replaced by a seasoned Sacramento politician or a well-known city councilmember hinges on the outcome of ranked-choice ballots, election officials said Wednesday.

Former State Senator Don Perata and Oakland City Councilmember Jean Quan might have to wait several days to learn which of them got the most votes in Alameda County's first ranked-choice election.

Final results posted after election night showed each carrying significantly less than a majority in the first round of vote counting, an unsurprising outcome in a crowded race to succeed Dellums.

View Numbers in the Oakland Mayoral Race and Complete Election Results

Both Perata and Quan have vowed to be a more visible presence in the city than Brown.

"Whether it's opening or a restaurant or attending the funeral of some young kid gunned down on the streets of Oakland, I'm going to be there," Perata said, adding that his first priority would be rehiring 80 police officers laid off because of budget cuts.

KCBS' Dave Padilla Reports:

Quan said overseeing the city means coming to grips with the economic reality that the city's budget is unlikely to grow during the next mayor's term.

"Nobody is predicting the economy to come up for at least another four years," she said.

And the mayor would have to put a face on tough decisions that need to get made about how to spend the money that is available, she said.

"What I've learned from this race, that people want a mayor who's going to be visible and out there. They know that the problems aren't going to be easy."

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