Jackie Fielder has an almost guaranteed victory in District 9, with a 15 points ahead of his closest opponentIt’s Trevor Chandler.

“I think voters resonated with our program because it directly reflects my conversations with them,” Fielder said by phone from Mexico, where she is currently on vacation after months of campaigning. “I took residents’ requests very seriously and listened to their concerns. »

Despite Fielder’s lead, Chandler told Mission Local Wednesday afternoon that he believes he can still win the race. He acknowledged it’s not the place he’d like to be, but reminded his supporters there were still thousands of votes left to count. He places his hopes in the No. 2 designations yet to materialize.

“I launched a major effort in the last few weeks of the campaign to get number two to Roberto’s expected supporters,” Chandler said, referring to current third-place finisher Roberto Hernandez. “I hope these efforts will be reflected in the next batches of votes that will be announced.”

Fielder sits comfortably in the lead in the race with 57.47 percent, compared to Chandler’s 42.53 percent in the final round. She has received So far, 7,406 votes went to first place, while Chandler had 5,334. A new set of results will be announced Thursday at 4 p.m.

Fielder said the leader is a direct representation of what Mission, Bernal Heights and Portola voters want: a progressive section of the city that wants to remain progressive, with an elected official who aligns with their values ​​and doesn’t accept billionaire funds.

“I think he would have been better off running in District 2, where it looks like there’s going to be an open seat,” Fielder said of Chandler, referring to Mark Farrell’s former district in the marina. In fact, last March, when Chandler won a seat on the Democratic County Central Committee, he finished fifth in District 2 and citywide. But in District 9, he ended up sixteenth.

For political consultant David Ho, the key to success in District 9 lies in two neighborhoods – Bernal and Mission. As long as white progressives in Bernal and Latino Latinos in Mission continue to vote in tandem, the district will have a winning formula for progressives.

Political consultant Jim Stearns agreed with Fielder and Ho and said the likely victory was no surprise given the district’s progressive values.