Mayor London Breed, San Francisco's incumbent in the heated mayoral race, chose not to participate in what was probably the last mayoral forum before voting ballots are mailed out. The event, organized by the League of Women Voters of San Francisco, witnessed Breed's opponents levying criticism against her in her absence. According to CBS News Bay Area, Breed's campaign cited a "scheduling conflict" for her absence.

With the Mayor's chair unfilled on stage, candidates seized the moment to critique Breed's policies and track record. The forum touched on various city issues, including homelessness, public safety, and the funding of City College of San Francisco. As reported by Mission Local, Aaron Peskin, president of the Board of Supervisors, took direct aim at Breed's handling of city budget allocations and homelessness, branding some of the Mayor's policies as "inhumane".

The criticism continued with discussions on Breed's proposal to address the issue of RVs parked overnight and City College's funding. According to Mission Local, Supervisor Ahsha Safaí condemned the Mayor's reduction of the college's free tuition program budget, proclaiming he would never do that. Breed has not personally responded to the evening's commentary, but her trail has been littered with such scuffles of words. Moreover, political expert and USF professor James Taylor informed CBS News Bay Area that the Mayor's absence could be considered strategic due to her incumbency.

Despite the unoccupied spotlight, mayoral hopefuls like Daniel Lurie and Mark Farrell presented their visions of a different San Francisco, touching on the need for a fully staffed police department and measures to tackle homelessness and crime. Farrell's vision included a zero-tolerance approach to crime and promised to replenish the police department's staffing. Lurie proposed integrating trained clinicians to assist with street-level crises related to addiction and mental health. Statements made throughout the forum emphasized the candidates' collective dissatisfaction with the current administration's performance, as noted by Mission Local.