Going into Election Day, the San Francisco mayoral race remained tightly contested, with most political observers expecting it to take several days to determine the winner.
In the end, all I needed was one.
Daniel Lurie had a commanding lead that night, but as more votes were counted throughout the rest of the week, the lead proved irreversible.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed immediately handed the mayoral race to Lurie after additional votes were counted Thursday.
At a victory celebration in St. Mary’s Square on Friday, Mr. Lurie repeated the theme he chanted on election night: It’s a new day in San Francisco.
“I look forward to working with everyone who is passionate about change and taking ownership to turn our city around,” Lurie said.
The first updated tally released by the Elections Department after Election Day showed Mr. Lurie holding a significant lead over Mr. Breed in ranked-choice voting, leaving little chance for the incumbent mayor. Board of Supervisors Chairman Aaron Peskin remained in third place, and former interim Mayor Mark Farrell, who conceded on election night, came in fourth.
Following Thursday’s set of results, Mr. Breed conceded the election and Mr. Lurie declared victory.
Breed said in a statement posted on social media that he called Lurie to offer his congratulations and pledged to support a smooth transition between the administrations.
“I have always strived to be the mayor for all San Franciscans,” Breed wrote. “I want to thank all the city employees who have worked tirelessly to improve this city over the past six years. there is.”
Given his inexperience in government, the central question currently swirling around Lurie is who he will spend his time with in City Hall. On Friday, he offered some tips.
“We have begun an aggressive search for a world-class administration that reflects the passion and diversity of the San Franciscans we serve,” Lurie said, later adding that he is searching nationally for talent. .
San Francisco Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie is welcomed by supporters after holding a press conference in San Francisco.
Jeff Chiu/Associated Press
Speaking to reporters Thursday night, Breed maintained the optimism about the future of The City that he maintained during his campaign, promising that San Francisco is “on the upswing.”
“Ultimately, what I have as mayor of San Francisco is a real gift,” Breed said.
Breed explained her decision to concede the race so quickly that, barring a miracle, she would lose the vote.
Given multiple opportunities by reporters who wanted to dissect the election, Breed balked, instead emphasizing the same theme he laid out in his initial statement: Ensuring a smooth transition of power is essential for San Francisco. He emphasized that.
“We need to get behind the campaign and move forward as a city,” Breed said.
Asked if this concession was the most difficult speech he’s ever given, Breed said no, and quickly put it in perspective, including the death of former Mayor Ed Lee, public defender Jeff Adachi. He noted that he also addressed the city in the wake of his death and the riots in the state. It announced its first coronavirus closure in the wake of the killing of George Floyd.
At an election night results watch party on Tuesday, Lurie touted the early tallies as evidence that his message that “insiders” at City Hall had led the government astray resonated with San Franciscans demanding change. It was widely advertised.
“I started this campaign not as a politician, but as a father who couldn’t explain to his children what we see on our streets and what they see on our streets,” Lurie said. told supporters on election night. “When you love something as much as we all love San Francisco, you fight for it. No matter who gets elected, it’s time to roll up your sleeves.”
Lurie, the heir to the Levi Strauss fortune, has invested more than $8.6 million of his personal fortune into the campaign. He also received financial support from his mother, Mimi Haas, who invested $1 million in an independent expenditure committee established to support his candidacy.
The committee has also received large donations from billionaire businessman Jan Koum and others. By the end of the campaign, he had spent more than twice as much as any other independent committee that participated in the campaign, according to campaign finance disclosures.
Lurie told reporters Friday that he plans to place his various holdings in a trust and will not receive the mayor’s salary, but that he would need to work with the city attorney’s office to do so. said.
But Mr. Lurie’s self-investment and support from wealthy elites clearly did not appeal to many voters, even as Mr. Breed stepped up his efforts to highlight it.
Mayor London Breed receives support from Chinatown community leaders for re-election at Hon’s Untung House restaurant in San Francisco on Friday, August 16, 2024.
Craig Lee/The Examiner
Whether you’re attending a block party or skating on an ice rink, the city has plenty of events to help you end the year on a high note.
Annual pet adoption campaign faces uncertainty due to Macy’s sale plan
This was the largest and most expensive failed effort in recent history, writes former Planning Commission Chairman Douglas Engman.
Breed, the only candidate in the race who rents his home, is aligned with Yes in My Backyard (YIMBY), the city’s pro-housing movement. She also supported Proposition K, a divisive ballot measure that proposes converting the upper portion of the Great Highway between Sloat Boulevard and Lincoln Way into permanent public recreation space.
Despite low approval ratings and high voter dissatisfaction with the city’s current state, Breed has positioned himself as steward of San Francisco’s post-COVID-19 revitalization. She touted the City’s recent progress in mitigating fentanyl overdoses, reducing crime and reducing tent encampments.
The array of challenges Lurie will face is daunting, and it remains to be seen how much lead San Franciscans will offer him to overcome them.
Lurie is not only a relative outsider, in contrast to the politicians who have dominated campaigns for years, but he also promises to be a man with a plan for all of the city’s woes. The election campaign was based on this.
He took great care to develop all these proposals with the help of experts, and he introduced them while touting their support. Former director of city planning for housing programs, former housing nonprofit leader for homeless programs, and former housing nonprofit leader for housing programs. Prosecutor with a plan to combat drug trafficking.
Outlining these plans is one thing, implementing them is another.
Although the city has made progress this year in combating a severe fentanyl overdose epidemic, the death rate remains alarmingly high and the drug’s effects remain visible to those strolling through Market and Mission Street. be.
On Friday, Lurie reiterated his promise to declare a state of emergency to allow the city to mobilize resources to deal with the outbreak and promised to hold drug traffickers “accountable.”
The crimes have been a driving force in reshaping San Francisco politics over the past two years, starting with the recall of District Attorney Chesa Boudin in 2022, but fueling voter dissatisfaction with the city government and its leader, Mr. Breed. It also happened.
Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie walks through Chinatown in San Francisco on Friday, November 8, 2024.
Craig Lee/The Examiner
Mr. Lurie promised to fully staff the city’s understaffed police departments, including creating housing for first responders. He promised to shorten the city’s troublingly long 911 call response times and create a downtown police precinct to combat retail theft.
Among the pillars of his security plan is a policy that would require courts to geographically monitor people released from custody and prohibit them from returning to areas where they were accused of drug trafficking.
On Friday, he deflected a question about whether he would fire Police Chief Bill Scott, as former interim Mayor Mark Farrell had promised to do if elected. Instead, Lurie said he would meet with Scott and all the other city department heads.
San Francisco Transit Authority faces financial cliff with no clear relief plan, although transportation officials emphasize slow and steady progress in restoring pre-pandemic ridership I am doing it.
Transportation woes largely reflect a lethargic downtown that has failed to regain its pre-pandemic vitality.
Meanwhile, levels of homelessness remain high. And while Breed touted the City’s ability to clear large tent encampments after restrictions were lifted by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling earlier this year, many of the people sleeping in tents are now It is unclear whether he is just living in his car or if he is living a tenuous life in some other way. .
Lurie has promised to quickly expand shelters and open 1,500 new shelter beds within his first six months in office. It’s an ambitious goal, but he hasn’t yet revealed exactly where all these new shelters will be located. At a campaign event, he encouraged San Franciscans to think about where in their neighborhoods they would like to set up shelters, and in exchange for his promise to keep encampments clean, he encouraged every part of the city to do its part. I argued that there must be.
The city is also embarking on a plan to build more than 80,000 new homes by the end of 2031, which will be overseen by the state. Among the city’s immediate priorities is implementing a rezoning program that will pave the way for all of this new housing. Lurie wants a plan that would allow for an additional six to eight stories along the transit corridor, but he’s also focused on speeding up San Francisco’s notoriously long project approval timelines. .
While some issues may not be within Mr. Lurie’s control, they will still be a top priority for voters. That includes public school districts that may at some point resume efforts to close schools.
Lurie pledged Friday to work closely with new SFUSD Superintendent Maria Hsu.
A man (who declined to give his name) reacts as he watches election results updates on a giant screen TV on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in San Francisco.
Noah Berger/Related Press
Apart from everything he’s facing within his own borders, Lurie is battling a second Donald Trump administration that many say will once again target San Francisco, long a poster child for the political left. would have to.
“On my watch, San Francisco will protect the rights of all of our neighbors,” Lurie promised. “We will never turn a blind eye to racism, bigotry, and anti-Asian hatred.”
Mr. Lurie returned his focus to addressing San Francisco’s issues, but when pressed by reporters, Mr. Lurie said that when it comes to immigrants concerned about the threat of deportation and LGTBQ youth, his message was to “bring everyone here.” I’ll take you back to San Francisco.”
“Those communities will have an ally in me,” he said.
