Cherelle Parker — a West Oak Lane native who lost much of her family at a young age and went on to become a state lawmaker and City Council majority leader — won the Democratic nomination for Philadelphia mayor, making her the odds-on favorite to become the 100th mayor and the first woman to ever helm the city.

Parker’s history-making victory came in one of the most competitive mayoral elections in recent memory, with as many as five contenders still seen as viable when polls opened.

The joyous occasion was marked with some confusion when the celebrating crowd was told late Tuesday at a union hall in North Philadelphia that Parker wouldn’t be appearing at the party.

Parker was hospitalized Tuesday for a dental emergency. Campaign spokesperson Aren Platt said in an emailed statement after midnight that Parker “had a recent dental issue that required immediate medical attention this evening,” and was receiving care at the University of Pennsylvania.