Yesterday, Democrat Bob Filner was elected as San Diego’s next mayor. His opponent, Republican San Diego City Rep. Carl DeMaio publically conceded yesterday morning after Filner got a 10,000-vote lead.

The win came after a 17-month long battle between the candidates. Both candidates would have made history if either of them were elected. Filner is now the second Democrat to hold mayoral office in the past 40 years in San Diego. He is also the city’s oldest elected mayor at the age of 70. As for DeMaio, he would have been the city’s first gay mayor.

After DeMaio agreed to accept defeat, he congratulated Filner. Filner told KPBS Midday Edition that DeMaio offered Filner and his supporters assistance at anytime.

DeMaio said he plans to stay in San Diego despite losing the election.

“I anticipate finding a good role to serve our city, so that we can move forward on the issues that I care passionately about: finishing the job of fiscal reform, restoring our services, moving our economy forward,” he told KPBS.

Filner said one of his goals as mayor is to bring City Hall back into the hands of working families and neighborhoods.

“To be entrusted with the leadership of one of America’s great cities is a humbling experience,” Filner said.

One of the differences between Filner and DeMaio that was constantly brought up in the race was employee pension reform. A long-time advocate of labor unions, Filner always rejected pension reform, although San Diego voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition B in June.

Despite Filner’s pension reform position, he told KPBS he will listen to what San Diegans want.