Influence of Big Money in San Francisco’s District 5 Election
The upcoming District 5 election in San Francisco has drawn significant financial backing, particularly from notable tech figures such as Y Combinator co-founder Jessica Livingston and Emmett Shear, a current visiting partner. Each has contributed $50,000 to a political action committee (PAC) named Grow SF, which aims to unseat Supervisor Dean Preston.
Shifting Political Landscape
This significant financial support reflects a growing trend of donor influence in San Francisco’s political sphere. Last year, moderate groups played pivotal roles in the recall campaigns of progressive District Attorney Chesa Boudin and three school board members. Recently, moderates also gained control of the city’s official Democratic Party, marking a noteworthy shift within the previously progressive Democratic County Central Committee.
The Role of Wealth in Politics
Jonathan Mehta Stein, the executive director of California Common Cause, highlighted a critical concern about political financing: “We’ve created a system in which whichever way the wealthiest Americans happen to feel about our politics, that side of things gets a gigantic megaphone to talk about their views.”
While traditional campaign tools such as TV adverts and mailers remain, Stein notes that coalition-building among affluent supporters enhances the effectiveness of these expenditures in San Francisco’s electoral landscape.
“Big money in San Francisco has gotten very smart,” Stein stated. “When you pair people power with campaign advertising, it creates a formidable combination.”
Campaign Dynamics: The “Dump Dean” Campaign
The Grow SF PAC has been particularly aggressive in its approach, raising nearly $300,000 for the “Dump Dean” campaign against Preston. They created a website outlining 31 reasons to oppose him and invested in billboards throughout the district criticizing his housing policies. Despite such campaigns, Preston maintains a strong defense of his pro-housing platform.
Preston’s main opponent, Bilal Mahmood, a tech entrepreneur, is also well-funded. His campaign, along with Preston’s, has seen fundraising hover around half a million dollars each. Other moderate candidates in the race, including Scotty Jacobs and Autumn Looijen, have each gathered close to $140,000 in support.
Support from Big Donors
Notable contributions from wealthy individuals have been crucial in financing the campaigns against Preston. Hilary Shirazi, a member of the Grow SF board, contributed $10,000 to the PAC, alongside additional donations to Mahmood from board members and local tech founders.
Furthermore, the influence of such PACs extends beyond District 5 to District 1, where a similar initiative, “Clear Out Connie Chan,” is underway, raising approximately $82,000 against another progressive supervisor.
