Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has congratulated Yemi Mobolade on his victory in Tuesday’s runoff election for mayor of Colorado Springs.

“Congratulations to Mayor-elect Yemi Mobolade on his victory and I look forward to working with the Mayor-elect to help save people money in Colorado Springs, make Colorado one of the ten safest states, and move Colorado Springs forward,” Polis wrote in a statement.

Mobolade, a political newcomer who will become the first elected Black mayor of Colorado Springs, has 57.53% of the votes in early unofficial results. His opponent, Wayne Williams, who has 42.47%, conceded after the first results were published.

Highlights from Yemi Mobolade’s watch party on Tuesday, May 16, 2023 at the COS City Hub in Colorado Springs. According to preliminary, unofficial results, Mobolade defeated Wayne Williams by about 15 percentage points, becoming the city’s first elected Black mayor and the first Colorado Springs mayor who isn’t a registered Republican in the more than four decades since the city began electing mayors directly in 1979. (Video by Skyler Ballard/ The Gazette)

Yemi Mobolade makes Colorado Springs history, becoming city’s first elected Black mayor

A total of 114,532 ballots had been counted as of the first results published by the City Clerk’s Office shortly after polls closed Tuesday night. Additional ballots are still being counted.

The governor also thanked Colorado Springs citizens for participating in democracy.

“Thank you to every Colorado Springs resident who voted,” he said.

Colorado Springs runoff election: Mobolade headed to victory, Williams concedes