Bay Area/ San Francisco
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Published on November 06, 2024
Daniel Lurie, Backed by Democrat & Republican Groups, Likely Next SF Mayor; Surges Ahead of London BreedSource: User:Hayden Blaz, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Often thought of as a progressive stronghold, San Francisco's ranked choice mayoral race - in the end - resulted in a showdown between two of the more centrist candidates. Nonetheless, it took a notable shift as results from the latest election data put Daniel Lurie, founder of a local nonprofit and heir to the Levi Strauss fortune, in a healthy lead over incumbent Mayor London Breed. It should be noted that Lurie, a "lifelong Democrat and San Franciscan," was also able to drum up support from both the San Francisco Republican Party and the Briones Society, a moderate Conservative group. In his campaign, Lurie touted, "Safe Streets & Accountable Government" as top priorities, pushing for a full-staffed SFPD through better benefits, greater foot patrol pressence in high-crime areas, and the declaration of a fentanyl state of emergency, as part of a plan for support of local San Francisco businesses

After the exhaustive 14th round of ranked-choice voting, Lurie holds a comfortable lead with 56% of the vote to Breed's 43.6%, as reported by ABC7 News. Over 24,000 votes separate the two, signaling a possible substantial shift in City Hall.

Despite having never held public office, Lurie carries the promise of change, a mantle he's draped himself in throughout his campaign. "The campaign is over," he declared on X Tuesday night, already looking beyond the electoral fight and calling for united efforts to improve San Francisco, as per ABC7 News. This statement may be premature, but it resonates with the desire for accountable leadership that he's encouraged among voters. However, according to the SFGATE, Breed remains stalwart, and her resolve does not falter as she recollected her first narrow victory years prior.

In a night that held victories and concessions, former Supervisor and interim Mayor Mark Farrell stepped down from the race after an early assessment of votes showed him trailing significantly. At a gathering marked by a concession speech, Farrell emphasized the importance of rallying behind the next mayor for the city's good despite having led a campaign focused on criticizing Breed. Earlier polls had suggested a better standing for Farrell, but an eleventh-hour fine for campaign finance violations cast a long shadow over his chances.

Meanwhile, across California, Democrats appear poised to gain key congressional races. Early results showed Democrats outpacing Republicans in several districts, potentially tipping the scales for the House of Representatives. Adam Gray, Will Rollins, and Derek Tran were among the Democrats who edged ahead in their respective races. Nevertheless, not all races followed this trend as GOP incumbents David Valadao and Mike Garcia maintained leads, complicating the forecasted political landscape that swims out of focus behind the curtain of ongoing vote counts, as per SFGATE.