Sadiq Khan
Sadiq KhanReuters

History was made in London on Friday as, for the first time, the city elected a Muslim mayor.

British media is reporting that Sadiq Khan, a Labour party candidate, has won the election, beating out candidate Zac Goldsmith.

“With almost 80% of first-preference votes counted, Sadiq has won without question,” said Peter Kellner, the former chairman of the market research firm YouGov, according to The Guardian. “He is well ahead on the first count and that’s not going to change radically.”

Khan had won 44% of the votes, with Goldsmith having won 35% as of Friday evening at 9:00 p.m. (Israel time).

Khan was promptly congratulated on Twitter by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who tweeted, “Congratulations @SadiqKhan. Can't wait to work with you to create a London that is fair for all! #YesWeKhan.”

Former Labour leader Ed Miliband congratulated Khan as well.

“Congratulations @SadiqKhan. You will be an outstanding Mayor of London. Your positive vision & dignity beat a campaign of fear and division,” he tweeted.

Last month, Khan criticized the anti-Semitism within his own party, as Labour is embroiled in an ongoing scandal involving anti-Semitic statements by several of its members.

Khan said the Labour party’s failure to tackle anti-Jewish sentiment was “unacceptable”

"I said from the outset, I'm embarrassed, I'm sorrowful about anti-Semitism in my party,” he added. “I think the Labour leadership could have taken a tougher stance—and should have taken a tougher stance.”

(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)