Sandra Lee Fewer wins SF supervisor’s race

Photo: Gabrielle Lurie, The Chronicle Sandra Fewer, who is running for District 1 Supervisor chats with...

School board member Sandra Lee Fewer has won the race to represent the Richmond District and nearby neighborhoods on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, beating out nine other candidates in one of the most expensive board races on the November ballot.

Updated returns from the Nov. 8 election, released Monday, show that Fewer has a 1,300-vote edge over second-place candidate Marjan Philhour for the District One seat, with only 1,584 votes left to be tallied. The totals take into account ranked-choice results, under which ballots for candidates who finished at the bottom of the pack have been redistributed to their voters’ second and third selections.

Philhour, a political consultant who was backed by moderates, conceded the race Monday evening.

“We ran a great campaign. While this isn’t the result we were hoping for, I’m so grateful to have been part of such a productive neighborhood-focused dialogue,” Philhour said. “I offer my sincere congratulations to Sandra Fewer and look forward to working together in the interest of Richmond District residents.”

Fewer was first elected to the school board in 2008 and was allied with the city’s progressive wing in the supervisorial election. She could not be reached for comment Monday.

The candidates were running to replace termed-out Supervisor Eric Mar, a member of the board’s progressive bloc. Outside groups poured more than $800,000 into the election. Nearly all of it — roughly $750,000 — went to support Philhour.

Control of the Board of Supervisors now hinges on the outcome of the lone race that is still too close to call — in District 11 in the southern part of the city, where moderate Ahsha Safai and progressive Kimberly Alvarenga are hoping to succeed termed-out Supervisor John Avalos.

Safai is leading by 410 votes with 1,427 yet to be counted. Alvarenga could still eke out a victory, but it will be difficult.

If Safai wins, the balance of power on the Board of Supervisors will flip from the progressives to the moderates, who are generally more friendly toward Mayor Ed Lee.

Emily Green is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: egreen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @emilygreen