The Chronicle and KQED to co-host San Francisco mayoral debate
The front-runners to lead City Hall will discuss their ideas for San Francisco’s most pressing challenges on Sept. 19
By Sarah Feldberg,Editor for Emerging Products and AudioJune 6, 2024
The Chronicle and KQED will co-present a 2024 San Francisco mayoral debate on Sept. 19.KQED
On Nov. 5, San Francisco voters will head to the polls to choose their next mayor.
The race pits current Mayor London Breed against a field of challengers, including Mark Farrell, former appointed mayor; Aaron Peskin, president of the Board of Supervisors; Daniel Lurie, Levi’s heir and non-profit leader; and Ahsha Safaí, city supervisor.
To help voters make an informed decision on Election Day, the San Francisco Chronicle is partnering with KQED to co-present a 2024 mayoral debate.
At 7 p.m. on Sept. 19, Chronicle senior political writer Joe Garofoli and KQED political reporters Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos will moderate a debate at KQED’s Mission District event space. The five front-runners in the Chronicle’s polling this summer will be invited to participate in the debate, which will be broadcast live on both KQED Public Television 9 and KQED Public Radio 88.5 FM and available to livestream with free registration.
“This is a critical election for San Francisco voters,” said Shafer. “There’s nothing like seeing the top candidates together on stage at the same time to compare their positions, personalities and plans for San Francisco. We hope their answers to our questions and interactions with each other give voters the information they need to decide who to support and how to rank their choices.”
Candidates will be asked to discuss their policies and ideas on a range of the most pressing issues facing San Francisco, such as homelessness, public safety, the city’s post-pandemic recovery and the enduring plague of drug overdoses.
“San Francisco is facing numerous challenges and opportunities — and as longtime reporters in this city, we know how important it is for all the top candidates to face questions from independent, seasoned journalists who understand both politics and policy,” said Lagos.
With a contentious election cycle already well underway, the debate will be an opportunity for voters to cut through the noise and hear directly from the front-runners.
“San Francisco voters will be inundated with unprecedented amounts of political advertising in this mayoral campaign,” said Garofoli. “This will be a chance to see the candidates go toe-to-toe in person and see who soars, who wilts and who just regurgitates their talking points.”
To register for the free livestream of the debate, click here.
About the Moderators
Joe Garofoli is the San Francisco Chronicle’s senior political writer, covering national and state politics. He has worked at the Chronicle since 2000 and in Bay Area journalism since 1992, when he left the Milwaukee Journal. He was the host of It’s All Political, the Chronicle’s political podcast. He has won numerous awards including the Polk Award and a Webby Award for Best Documentary Podcast, and in addition to politics has covered everything from fashion to the Jeffrey Dahmer serial killings to two Olympic Games.
Marisa Lagos is a correspondent for KQED’s Politics and Government Desk and co-hosts Political Breakdown. Lagos conducts reporting, analysis and investigations into state, local and national politics for KQED radio, TV and online. Previously, she worked for nine years at the San Francisco Chronicle covering San Francisco City Hall and state politics; and at the San Francisco Examiner and Los Angeles Times. She has won awards for her work investigating the 2017 wildfires and her ongoing coverage of criminal justice issues in California.
Scott Shafer came to KQED in 1998 to host The California Report. Prior to that he had extended stints in politics and government. Using that inside experience, he is now Senior Editor for KQED’s Politics and Government Desk where he provides reporting, hosting and analysis while also overseeing the politics desk. Scott co-hosts the daily show and podcast Political Breakdown with Marisa Lagos and he collaborated on The Political Mind of Jerry Brown, an eight-part series about the life and extraordinary political career of the former governor.
About the San Francisco Chronicle
The San Francisco Chronicle (www.sfchronicle.com) is the largest newspaper in Northern California and the second largest on the West Coast. Acquired by Hearst in 2000, the San Francisco Chronicle was founded in 1865 by Charles and Michael de Young and has been awarded six Pulitzer Prizes for journalistic excellence.
About KQED
KQED serves the people of Northern California with a public-supported alternative to commercial media. An NPR and PBS affiliate based in San Francisco, KQED is home to one of the most listened-to public radio stations in the nation, one of the highest-rated public television services and an award-winning education program helping students and educators thrive in 21st-century classrooms. A trusted news source and leader and innovator in interactive technology, KQED takes people of all ages on journeys of exploration — exposing them to new people, places and ideas. kqed.org
June 6, 2024
EDITOR FOR EMERGING PRODUCTS AND AUDIO
Sarah Feldberg is The San Francisco Chronicle’s deputy director of product and strategy. Previously, she worked as the Culture Desk editor, focused on the changing lifestyle of the Bay Area, and the assistant travel editor. Before joining the Chronicle, she was a contributing editor at Travel Weekly, editor-in-chief of media and events startup A Beautiful Perspective, and a freelance writer, contributing to Afar, National Geographic, Travel + Leisure, NPR and the BBC. Feldberg also lived in Las Vegas for seven years, where she worked as editor-in-chief of Las Vegas Weekly, covering the desert’s odd corners and reminding readers that there’s more to Las Vegas than four miles of casinos and neon. A Boston native, Feldberg misses the seasons, but not shoveling snow. Follow her on Twitter @sarahfeldberg.
