Nelson Diaz encountered a major defeat in Philadelphia's Democratic Party mayoral primary race as he received single-digit figures. A victory for Diaz would have provided the window of opportunity to become the city's first Latino mayor.

Polls in Philadelphia closed at 8 p.m. EST, and as of 12 a.m. EST with 98.10 percent of the precincts reporting, Jim Kenney received 55.79 percent of the vote, which equated to 128,398 votes. Anthony Hardy Williams placed second with 26.15 percent, ahead of Lynne Abraham's 8.39 percent.

According to the Office of the Philadelphia City Commissions, Diaz finished fifth with 3.71 percent, or 8,549 votes. He was a couple hundred votes shy of fourth place, which went to Doug Oliver with 9,792 votes, or 4.25 percent. Diaz did receive more votes than T. Milton Street Jr.

Diaz had hoped to celebrate an election night victory the Philadelphia's Isla Verde. A little after an hour of polls closing, he conceded and congratulated Kenney via Twitter, stating, "Congratulations to our next mayor, [Jim Kenney]. On my way to address my supporters now."

"Progress is a process. This isn't a defeat - it's a step towards a better Philadelphia I'm proud to have taken," Diaz stated, noting that the next Latino mayoral candidate "will start in a better place than I did."

Diaz's campaign message was to reform Philadelphia's education system and raise the minimum wage to $15.

Diaz, 67, a former common pleas court judge, is Puerto Rican, and he received support from the commonwealth island, including its governor, Alejandro Garcia Padilla. According to Diaz's campaign office, the support from Puerto Rico encompasses "every major political faction" in the island, including pro-and-anti-statehood parties.

In the mainland U.S., Diaz received political support from House of Representatives Democratic Caucus Chairman and U.S. Rep. Xavier Becerra, D-Calif. Becerra said a victory for Diaz would be symbolic for everyone, especially as the city will host the 2016 Democratic National Convention. He acknowledged Diaz's stance on education and its connections to immigrant families and people living in poverty.

In Philadelphia, 13 percent of the city's 1.55 million is comprised of Latinos.

With the Democratic mayoral primary completed, Kenney will face Republican candidate Melissa Murray Bailey in November.

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