Cofer upbeat in mayoral defeat; says campaign proved ‘Sacramento believes more is possible’
Flojaune Cofer conceded victory to Kevin McCarty in their race to become Sacramento’s next mayor Tuesday night while celebrating her own people-powered campaign that “told a different story about Sacramento.”
“We proved that Sacramento believes that more is possible. We told a different story about Sacramento as a place where people care and where we can work together to create a future where we all thrive together,” Cofer said in remarks posted to her campaign’s website. “We proved that Sacramento is a city filled with people who want effective solutions without compromising our compassion. We led with love and had a great time doing it.”
The tale of Cofer’s 20-month campaign nearly concluded in storybook fashion only to end in the narrowest mayoral race in 25 years. In the final tally, McCarty won by a margin of just 1,938 votes, 96,433 votes to 94,495 for Cofer.
McCarty, the state assemblymember and former Sacramento city councilman now returning to City Hall, declared victory last week; his lead deemed insurmountable. But Cofer waited until Tuesday night when elections officials certified their final count before making the call to the mayor-elect.
“Last night I called to offer my congratulations to mayor-elect Kevin McCarty. We had the first of many very forthright conversations about the future of Sacramento,” she said, pledging support to the new mayor. McCarty will take the oath of office Dec. 10.
“We have a responsibility to stay involved and carry our vision forward. I am committed to supporting this new administration because their success is our success,” Cofer said. “Together we will collaborate, advocate, and hold leadership accountable to ensure Sacramento becomes a city where everyone thrives. We ran for mayor. Now we govern together.”
Cofer’s campaign message resonated
She was “Dr. Flo” on the campaign trail; a public health professional, political newcomer and progressive whose outsider narrative, indefatigable ground game and prescriptions for the issues that gripped the capital city — its homeless crisis and affordable housing; public safety and the economy — won supporters from across Sacramento.
“We need new leadership that respects us and listens to us, that partners with us and brings a new vision to Sacramento,” she said during a forum in the city’s Heritage Park neighborhood.
The message resonated, especially with residents who felt disconnected or disengaged with local politics.
“There’s a potential to transfer her campaign into a political movement,” Christopher Towler, director of the Black Voter Project and a Sacramento State professor said of Cofer’s candidacy earlier this year. “She’s very attractive ... especially to those who feel their voices have been taken away.”
The signs came early. Candidate Cofer was surrounded by an impressive list of mayoral hopefuls in the city’s primary: McCarty, former state Sen. Richard Pan; and former City Councilmember Steve Hansen. She warded off Hansen and Pan in the spring, building momentum and a movement as she set her sights on City Hall.
Cofer would have been the first Black woman elected Sacramento mayor. McCarty is the second Black man to hold the office.
“The energy was palpable,” Cofer said in her online concession address. “People got involved who were never involved in a campaign or didn’t see themselves as ‘political,’” she said.
What’s next for Cofer?
Cofer thanked the “thousands of active supporters who injected energy, enthusiasm and excitement as we ran for mayor;” and endorsers who, she said, “got behind someone who was not a career politician because they wanted to see change.”
In an interview with The Sacramento Bee on Tuesday night, Cofer said her work during the campaign would not end with her concession; though she left open whether she would consider another run for mayor.
“We had 94,495 people who voted yes to making sure that we are addressing some of the challenges in our city. I’m looking forward to continuing this work in the city of Sacramento. My love for the city didn’t start with the campaign and it doesn’t end here,” Cofer said.
“There’s structural and systematic work that needs to be done, and that work has to be done. And we all have a responsibility in it,” Cofer continued. “And so my responsibility doesn’t end because I didn’t become mayor. My responsibility is to this community that I live in and that I love, and so I’m going to continue that work.”
This story was originally published December 4, 2024 at 12:13 PM.
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