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Independent D.C. Council candidate Dionne Reeder fell short in her bid to oust incumbent Councilmember Elissa Silverman on Tuesday in Washington鈥檚 most contentious local race.

Councilmembers at-large Anita Bonds (D) and Silverman (I) retained their Council seats with 44 percent and 27 percent of the vote, respectively, while Reeder reeled in 14 percent, according to .

鈥淭his was a wild race, right?鈥� Reeder said in her concession speech Tuesday night at Ivy City Smokehouse in Northeast Washington.

Reeder thanked a crowded room of volunteers, friends and supporters 鈥� many wearing pink 鈥淒ionne for D.C.鈥� shirts 鈥� in her concession speech. Cora Masters Barry, the wife of the late Marion Barry, received a special thank you as did , to whom Reeder said, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 care what they say about you, brother, thank you.鈥�

Reeder choked back tears when it came time to thank Mayor Muriel Bowser, who was not in attendance.

鈥淲hat mayor 鈥� who was going to win 鈥� endorses a person that never ran?鈥� Reeder said. 鈥淪he didn鈥檛 expect me to be a rubber stamp, she expected me to be who I am. Madame Muriel Bowser, thank you.鈥�

Michael Haresign, a bartender who helped organize restaurant workers for Reeder, joined scores of Reeder supporters at Ivy City Smokehouse.

鈥淚t was an uphill battle,鈥� Haresign said after word of Reeder鈥檚 loss had reached him.

Reeder鈥檚 campaign gained traction in September after she was endorsed by Mayor Muriel Bowser, who won reelection easily on Tuesday. Bowser and the business community initially threw their support behind S. Kathryn Allen before she was when the Board of Elections found fraudulent signatures on Allen鈥檚 candidate petition.

Bowser鈥檚 endorsement, and Reeder鈥檚 subsequent boost in campaign contributions, launched Reeder into a heated, sometimes ugly race with Silverman for the second at-large seat on the D.C. Council.

The paid family leave law that Silverman co-wrote in 2016 became the most important issue in the race. Reeder criticized the law because it is paid for with a on employers. She said residents of Maryland and Virginia, who work in the District, could then have paid time off without having paid into the program, Reeder said.

Silverman said the structure of the law is a result of the 鈥檚 ban on a commuter tax.

鈥淎nyone who says they don鈥檛 support this current form of paid leave doesn鈥檛 support paid leave,鈥� Silverman said at a

Reeder owns Cheers at the Big Chair, a restaurant in Anacostia, and said the payroll tax would hurt her business. 鈥淚鈥檓 not going to be able to function in Ward 8 where there鈥檚 ,鈥� Reeder said at the September candidate鈥檚 forum.

An intense race that centered around paid family leave ensued. Unions backing Silverman set up black yard signs that read 鈥淪ave paid family leave, don鈥檛 vote for Dionne Reeder.鈥� Reeder condemned Silverman for not being Washington-focused, pointing out that .

Newly elected ANC Commissioner Delia Houseal said at the Reeder watch party that she wanted both Reeder and Silverman to win. Houseal used to work with Reeder at the , an organization that helps young parents raise successful children.

Houseal said Silverman is an activist on the D.C. Council who works on behalf of lower income communities. Reeder and Silverman would work well together in that respect, Houseal said.

鈥淸Reeder] has a sense of what marginalized communities need,鈥� Houseal said. 鈥淎nd she would bring that independent thought to the council.鈥�

Cheers of 鈥渞un again!鈥� and 鈥渞un for mayor!鈥� rang through Ivy City Smokehouse during Reeder鈥檚 heartfelt, optimistic concession speech. Reeder called for the need to 鈥渉eal the city鈥� after tinged the late stages of the at-large race.

鈥淚 want people to understand that this stuff is serious,鈥� Reeder said about the animosity. 鈥淲e have to start loving on each other and provide real pathways for people to be successful.鈥�

As for Reeder鈥檚 political ambitions, she said it is too soon to start thinking about another run for office.

鈥淕od told me to run now, he didn鈥檛 say run tomorrow.鈥�