MEMPHIS — Three-term incumbent A C Wharton Jr. has conceded Memphis' mayoral election to a City Council member, who is to become the city's first white mayor in almost a quarter-century.
Wharton's concession to councilman Jim Strickland came late Thursday before complete results from the nonpartisan election were posted. Unofficial, incomplete totals reported Thursday night showed Strickland well ahead.
This majority-black Mississippi River city hasn't had a white mayor since 1991. Strickland ran on a platform of change to tackle problems of poverty, rising crime and strained city finances.
"The people of Memphis spoke to the common hope in all of us, that Memphis can be better and that we must address the great challenges we face with a sense of urgency," Strickland said.
Wharton was first elected mayor in 2009.