Although final votes are still being counted for the 2022 general elections, it has been decided that Rex Richardson will become the next Mayor of Long Beach, and the City’s first African-American Mayor.
Opposing candidate Suzie Price announced her departure from the mayoral race Tuesday morning at 8:24 a.m. on Twitter with a link to a full statement.
Her statement reads that although there is still an “unknown” number of votes to be counted, “the trend is going in the wrong direction for our campaign. It appears that the people of Long Beach have spoken and selected Vice Mayor Richardson as our next mayor. I wish him nothing but success on the journey ahead.”
Richardson announced his win Tuesday morning at around 10 a.m. in which he commended Price for her campaign and work she has done in the city.
“She [Price] and I share a love for Long Beach and want to ensure every resident is safe and thriving. I look forward to collaborating with her and her supporters to unify our city and move us forward,” the statement reads.
Richardson will announce his transition team on Wednesday, Nov. 16 and will be sworn into office on Dec. 20, 2022.
Richardson held a 7% lead over Price on Nov. 9 after the first round of votes were announced by the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder. As of Nov. 15, he holds a lead of roughly 11% with 42,697 of the votes. Price will leave the race with 34,531 votes.
Price and Richardson have been campaigning for the position of mayor for nearly a year. Richardson received an endorsement from former mayor Robert Garcia in the days leading up to elections. Garcia has since gone on to secure a seat in the U.S. Congress.
Price’s statement goes on to address the “many” people who have reached out to check in on her within the last few days.
“I have a full life filled with an incredible career, a loving family and loyal friends with integrity,” the statement reads. “I will be fine. This journey was never about me.”
Richardson informally announced the success of his campaign on Twitter, following the latest round of voting results. A screenshot of the results were accompanied with, “I look forward to beginning our work together on tackling our city’s biggest challenges and delivering results.🙏🏽🦖🙏🏽”
