Bri Williams leads with a preliminary 53.4% of the vote in the Multnomah County District 2 commissioner race, according to results released early Wednesday, Nov. 4.

Williams' share grew in a second batch of results released after midnight, OPB reported. Former commissioner Serena Cruz trailed with 46.7%. The results are not yet certified.

The race marks the first time Multnomah County has used ranked-choice voting. Under that system, a candidate must receive more than 50% to win. If no one does, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and those votes transfer to each voter's next-ranked choice.

Williams, a culturally specific mental health consultant for Albina Head Start, would hold elected office for the first time if results hold, Willamette Week reported. She also worked in a similar role for the county's Preschool for All program, according to OPB.

Seven candidates ran for the District 2 seat, which covers most of North and Northeast Portland. Commissioner Shannon Singleton vacated it to run for county chair. The field also included county social services program director Nabil Zaghloul, pastor and former Portland Public Schools board member Herman Greene and hazardous waste technician Nathan Ong Norris.

The contest largely came down to Williams and Cruz. Cruz held the District 2 commissioner post in the early 2000s and recently served as the county's chief operating officer, as Willamette Week reported. As we reported Nov. 2, Cruz was seeking a return to the board.

Election night scene

Supporters gathered at Amalfi's Italian Restaurant on Northeast Fremont Street on Tuesday, Nov. 3, to watch results for both Williams and Singleton, Willamette Week reported. After the first batch of results showed Williams with an early lead of 52%, she jumped and danced as speakers blasted Kendrick Lamar's "tv off."

In an October interview with KGW, Williams said affordability and displacement were top concerns in the district. She pointed to her own experience with homelessness and domestic violence as shaping her focus on prevention.

"… As someone that has experienced homelessness by escaping domestic violence, I had my first child while living in a domestic violence shelter, so I understand the necessity of a safety net …" Williams told KGW.

The Multnomah County Elections Division will continue releasing batches of voting results in the days ahead.