San Francisco appoints first Asian-American mayor

City by the bay welcomes Edwin Lee into Gavin Newsom's old post

Published January 12, 2011 12:47AM (EST)

San Francisco lawmakers have unanimously voted to appoint a veteran city government official as the city's first Asian-American mayor.

The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday named 58-year-old City Administrator Edwin Lee to fill the remainder of Gavin Newsom's term. Newsom was elected California's lieutenant governor in November and took office on Monday.

Lee was sworn in immediately following the board's vote. He will serve as interim mayor until next January, when the winner of this November's mayoral election will take over. Lee says he doesn't plan to run.

San Francisco's population of 815,000 is roughly one-third Asian. With Lee's appointment, the city is now the largest in the country with an Asian-American leader.


By Robin Hindery

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