OAKLAND — Barbara Lee opened her first news conference as Oakland’s mayor-elect with a nod to her Catholic upbringing and education in El Paso, Texas, leading a packed room in a moment of silence for Pope Francis, who died earlier Monday.

I accept your choice with a deep sense of responsibility, humility and love,' Lee said in her victory statement.

Votes are still being counted, but with her closest competitor having conceded, Barbara Lee is now considered the mayor-elect of Oakland.