Dellums Reaches 50.2%, Runoff may be Avoided

Because the county’s electronic voting machines failed to meet state and federal standards, Oakland voters had to use paper ballots, which were then slowly counted by hand in downtown Oakland. Dellums held a slim 44% to 36% lead over De La Fuente after absentee ballots were counted, and now has 50.2% with 100% of ballots counted. Some absentee ballots remain to be counted, but Dellums could well win the competitive Oakland mayor's race without a runoff.

At former congressman Dellums’ election night headquarters at a nightclub near Jack London Square a raucous crowd of supporters focused their attention on election news broadcasts, cheering loudly when their candidate’s modest lead was displayed.

Dellums campaign member Rodney Brooks said that the absentee results were encouraging because absentee voters tend to be “more conservative, more in De La Fuente’s camp.”

“Over the past few days, we’ve seen undecideds seem to break our way,” he added.

A few blocks away, a boisterous and confident crowd of De La Fuente supporters danced to the sounds of Carlos Santana and Los Lonely Boys as they waited for further results to spell good news for their candidate.

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