Posted on Thursday, November 21, 2006

(11-21) 21:03 PST -- Richmond Mayor Irma Anderson conceded defeat Tuesday in her bid for re-election and congratulated her opponent, Gayle McLaughlin, a member of the City Council and an activist in the Green Party. In a news release, Anderson said it was clear that the voters of Richmond had "opted for a different vision for Richmond."

Assuming officials certify the results as expected, the election makes Richmond the biggest city in the country with a Green Party mayor -- and apparently the first with a predominately minority population. About three-fourths of the city's 103,000 residents are African-American and other minorities. The Green Party's traditional base has been among mostly white, well-educated people concerned about environmental causes.

McLaughlin describes herself in her official City Council biography as a "lifelong social activist" for progressive causes. She is the product of a union family in Chicago, and holds an undergraduate degree in psychology.

Anderson has been mayor for five years. She described it as a time of "many challenges, necessitating tough decisions that I made for the health and well being of our community." She said she would work closely with McLaughlin to assure a smooth transition. Anderson said in her news release that she was declining interviews. McLaughlin couldn't be reached for comment Tuesday night.

E-mail Carl Hall at chall@sfchronicle.com