by XUEER LU JULY 18, 2024, 6:05 AM (MissionLocal.org)
Daniel Lurie used to avoid two topics, but now leans into them: Levi Strauss’ fortune and San Francisco’s “strong mayor” system.
“I’m okay with that. I run towards that,” Lurie said on Tuesday evening when speaking of his family background at a meet-and-greet at the Dolby Chadwick Gallery. During the first minute of his talk, he addressed his relationship to Levi Strauss, proudly noting the company’s dedication to its workers, LGBTQ employees, and its history of desegregated factories in the South. “We need more businesses like that here in San Francisco.”
Later, he also acknowledged San Francisco’s strong mayoral system. “You have power as mayor,” he said, promising accountability on Day One. “I’m not going to shy away from that. I’m going to lean into that.”
The first of three meet-and-greets this week started like the others: with Lurie’s pitch to the audience. The candidate spoke of his track record running the nonprofit Tipping Point; his activist rabbi father Brian; his stepfather’s family business (Levi Strauss) and its San Franciscan values; his mantra of accountability; and his priorities of public safety, mental health and the drug crisis, and cutting red tape at City Hall.
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After the 15-minute pitch came questions from the audience, accompanied by free-flowing wine or sparkling water. But on Tuesday, there was also advice — from Matt Gonzalez, the chief attorney at the public defender’s office and a 2003 mayoral candidate for the Green Party. Gonzalez also served one term as District 5 supervisor from 2001 to 2005.
After losing to Newsom by a 53-47 tilt — which translated to 14,187 votes at the time — Gonzalez didn’t seek re-election to the Board of Supervisors and was succeeded as president by Aaron Peskin.
“I’m sorry, Matt Gonzalez, I’m going to put you on the spot for just a second,” said co-host Kem Theilig, who saved the last few minutes of the event for the former politician and one of the artists shown by the gallery.
“So Matt Gonzalez, public defender, who’s been in your position …” Theilig continued, turning to Lurie.
“Well not exactly in your position. I lost the mayoral race,” Gonzalez said, prompting laughter from the audience.
“And we are gonna win!” Lurie followed up quickly.
Gonzalez praised Lurie’s message on accountability, which he believes voters are seeking this election.
The personal values of a candidate are also important, Gonzalez told the candidate.
“Maybe they don’t know what your position is going to be, some transportation issue or some bond issue, or who knows what,” Gonzalez said. “But they trust that you have the right values to go in there and sort it out.”
And the third thing, Gonzalez said, is to fix city problems with long-term solutions.
“Totally I get it,” Lurie said, nodding along as he heard the advice. “That’s why I actually think my experience with Tipping Point for 20 years, understanding this long[-term] thing is perfectly suited for this moment … I know how to hold nonprofits accountable.”
For his part, Gonzalez said nothing he heard on Tuesday changed his mind. He still ranks former colleague Peskin as his first choice and Lurie as second. “I like him very much and I like Aaron very much,” Gonzalez said. “They are very different candidates.”
Asked to elaborate, Gonzalez demurred. “I don’t really have time because I’m going to go put the little guy to sleep,” he said, pointing to his newborn baby and making his way out of the gallery.
But for Chadwick, the gallery owner who met Lurie for the first time that night, things had definitely changed. “I was really, really excited and impressed,” she said, adding that she thinks Lurie is “so smart and thinking from a practical perspective and a political perspective.”
He has her vote — and a donation, she said.
MORE FIELD NOTES FROM THE MAYOR’S RACE
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See how they run: Mayor Breed visits SF Women’s Political Committee, tracing her roots
See how they run: Mayor Breed defends public-safety record during law-and-order debate
XUEER LU
Xueer is a California Local News Fellow, working on data and covering housing. Xueer is a bilingual multimedia journalist fluent in Chinese and English and is passionate about data, graphics, and innovative ways of storytelling. Xueer graduated from UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism with a Master’s Degree in May 2023. She also loves cooking, photography, and scuba diving.More by Xueer Lu
