Irvine Councilwoman Farrah Khan won the Irvine mayoral election against incumbent mayor Christina Shea on Nov. 3.

Khan won 48.81% of votes compared to Shea’s 35.48%, leading by almost 15,000 votes.

“Thank you to the residents of Irvine who have put their faith in my leadership,” Khan said on her Instagram and Twitter after results came out. “Even if I didn’t earn your vote, I look forward to serving as a Mayor for all Irvine residents!”

Khan, a strong advocate of minority voices in Irvine and a council member since 2018, made equal representation a major part of her 2020 campaign.

“When I ran in 2018 for Irvine City Council, it was based on bringing civility, transparency and placing residents first,” Khan said on her campaign website. “I became the first woman of color ever to be elected to the City of Irvine. Irvine deserves a mayor who reflects the inclusive, compassionate and progressive values of our city’s residents.”

The runner-up of the election was Shea, who is a prominent figure in the Irvine community due to her rich history of political involvement as an elected official and incumbent mayor.

“The voters spoke and they did not choose me,” Shea said. “I just wish the best for the city of Irvine.”

Other contenders of the election included business owner Luis Huang and former campaigner Katherine Daigle running for mayor. Most made statements in their campaigns that their policies would ensure the safety and health of Irvine citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Even with the uncertainty of 2020, the election process went smoothly due to the flexibility of voting procedures to account for the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As Shea prepares to leave office next month, Khan plans to make Irvine more environmentally friendly, provide leadership on social justice issues and help civilians recover from the economic shutdown.

“I am excited to get to work as your next Mayor,” Khan said. “Together, we will ensure we continue to protect our great city’s quality of life, build back our economy, and restore transparency in local government.

To view election results, please visit ocvote.com.