PORTLAND, OR (KPTV) -
Charlie Hales and Jefferson Smith are set for a November showdown to determine Portland's next mayor.
Election returns Wednesday morning showed Hales carrying 38 percent of the vote and Smith holding 31 percent of the vote. That means the third candidate, New Seasons Market co-founder Eileen Brady, has been eliminated from the race.
RELATED: 2012 Oregon primary election results
Heading into Tuesday, recent FOX 12-OPB polls showed Hales as the frontrunner while support was slipping for Brady. FOX 12 political analyst Tim Hibbitts said support appeared to flatline for Brady after a good start.
Though Hales emerges from Oregon's primary as the first-place finisher, there's still work to do with the November election six months out.
"We knew all along this was likely to be a two-stage race," Hales said.
Hales, a former city commissioner of 10 years who left in 2002 to take a job in the private sector, said he wants the city to get to "substance and to action as quickly as we can."
Meanwhile, Smith, a native Portlander, spent his election night with supporters and said it's now time to focus on the next election.
"I think we need to continue to speak to the soul of Portland," he said. "This will not be over until we have done everything we can to get this city working, working better and working for more people."
Brady conceded the race at around 11 p.m. Tuesday. Last year, she was the first to announce her candidacy for mayor. She thanked Portlanders for the opportunity to run in the race and she congratulated Smith and Hales on their campaigns.
"And to all the people of Portland, I've heard you. I think Jefferson and Charlie have heard you. We need to build a strong economy. We have to have a job base here that supports all Portlanders," she said.
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