f{"id":25880,"date":"2023-04-10T11:05:41","date_gmt":"2023-04-10T18:05:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=25880"},"modified":"2023-04-10T11:05:44","modified_gmt":"2023-04-10T18:05:44","slug":"heres-why-no-progressives-have-stepped-up-to-challenge-san-francisco-mayor-london-breed-yet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2023\/04\/10\/heres-why-no-progressives-have-stepped-up-to-challenge-san-francisco-mayor-london-breed-yet\/","title":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s why no progressives have stepped up to challenge San Francisco Mayor London Breed \u2014 yet"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"A — A letter has been circulating among progressive Democratic clubs in the city seeking to draft Assembly Member Phil Ting to run for mayor. That was news to Ting.Stephen Lam\/The Chronicle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
San Francisco progressives have a lot of problems with moderate Mayor London Breed, so why haven\u2019t any of them stepped up to run for mayor? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It may seem weird that San Francisco \u2014 the progressive capital of America \u2014 doesn\u2019t yet have a progressive running for mayor. San Francisco isn\u2019t just progressive by reputation, it\u2019s by results. According to a Chronicle analysis<\/a> of November\u2019s state propositions, San Francisco posted the most \u201cprogressive\u201d results among the state\u2019s 58 counties. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But this is also the town that recalled Chesa Boudin<\/a>, its progressive district attorney, and three members of its school board last year. Jane Kim, a progressive former supervisor and school board member who ran for mayor in 2018, said, \u201cGiven what occurred in the last year, there\u2019s probably some hesitancy to what the viability looks like for a progressive candidate for mayor.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s not impossible for a progressive to win in a big city. Look at Chicago, where last week union-backed progressive Brandon Johnson \u2014 who started the race polling at 3% <\/a>\u2014 defeated tough-on-crime former school executive Paul Vallas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are plenty of differences between the two cities, but San Francisco progressives are looking for someone to step up. A letter has been circulating among progressive Democratic clubs in the city seeking to draft Assembly Member Phil Ting<\/a> to run. It comes from \u201cprogressive organizers, leaders, activists and advocates deeply concerned about the direction of our City and our movement.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Mayor\u2019s race in 2024 is the single most important contest for deciding the future of our City. We cannot afford four more years of our broken status quo,\u201d the letter reads. \u201cWe need you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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The first big challenge with the fledgling Draft Ting movement letter: Ting hasn\u2019t seen it. At least, not until I told him about it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Perhaps the bigger challenge: Ting, who is termed out of the Assembly in 2024, is not thinking about running for mayor. He\u2019s actually opened up a fundraising account to run for state treasurer in 2026, though that could simply be a place to park money until he figures out his next move, as many pols do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t rule anything in my life out,\u201d Ting told me. \u201cBut at this point, it\u2019s not something I\u2019m looking at.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alas, the hunt goes on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At its leadership retreat in February, the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club listed four people they\u2019d like to see challenge Breed: Ting, Boudin, San Francisco Supervisor Shamann Walton and Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Well, scratch Peskin off that list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe thought has occurred to me, but it seems like a pretty miserable job,\u201d Peskin told me. \u201cIt\u2019s not on my list of things to do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Plus, \u201cif it was on my things to do I\u2019d have to be busting moves right now. And I can tell you as we speak, I\u2019m on my way to a swearing-in ceremony and not busting any moves,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Walton did not return a request for comment. Neither did Boudin. Then again, the first and only time Boudin was elected to office, voters insisted that he leave before his term was done, so he\u2019s probably not a good option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What about Supervisor Dean Preston? The Democratic socialist and former tenant rights attorney is one of Breed\u2019s most vocal critics. He led the drive behind last year\u2019s voter-approved Proposition H, which placed elections for major offices like mayor, district attorney, city attorney, treasurer and sheriff to even years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Breed opposed Prop. H, even though it gave her another year in office. She thought it was a power play<\/a> by Democratic socialists \u2014 even though six supervisors not named Dean Preston supported putting it on the ballot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The real reason that Breed didn\u2019t like Prop. H: Next year\u2019s presidential year electorate will probably bring out more renters, young voters and people of color \u2014 the kind of electorate that might be friendlier to a progressive candidate. Ross estimated that 45% of the electoral pie could be progressive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So surely Preston would be game, given those numbers, right? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI am not planning to run for mayor,\u201d Preston said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Is it the job? At $353,801<\/a> a year, being mayor of San Francisco pays almost as well as being president ($400,000).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Plus, it is more powerful than most mayoral gigs, because San Francisco is both a city and a county. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass may rule a big city, but she also has little sway over what goes on in the massive Los Angeles County surrounding her. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
San Francisco City Hall can be a stepping stone to higher office. Former San Francisco mayors become governor (Gavin Newsom) or senator (Dianne Feinstein.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So what\u2019s the hang-up? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For one, it\u2019s money, said Jim Ross, who ran both Newsom\u2019s first campaign for mayor in 2003 and the anti-recall campaign for the progressive Boudin. Given the larger, presidential year electorate, he expects Breed to raise at least $10 million for her re-election campaign. A challenger could be outspent 10-1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cProgressives are cognizant of fundraising and cognizant of the money that will need to be spent to counter London Breed. And I think that explains a lot of the hesitancy,\u201d said Jeffrey Kwong, president of the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Organized labor is still on the fence, Ross said. That presents a chicken-and-egg problem: Some potential candidates are hesitant to run unless they can count on full-throated backing from labor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Plus, Ross said, if you\u2019re looking to climb the ladder, there are other offices to run for. If Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi doesn\u2019t run again, that opens up a House seat. State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, said he would run for Pelosi\u2019s seat if she retired, opening up his job. Ting\u2019s Assembly gig will be available. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf you\u2019re an ambitious politician, you don\u2019t have to take on a mayor who has a lot of moderate support,\u201d Ross said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Historically, the odds are against progressives who want to be mayor. The last progressive to win a mayor\u2019s race was Art Agnos in 1987. The last sitting supervisor other than Newsom to win was George Christopher. And that was so long ago<\/a> \u2014 1955 \u2014 that Christopher won while being a Republican in San Francisco. Mayors Willie Brown and George Moscone came to City Hall from the Legislature and Feinstein and Breed were appointed to the position after the death of the mayor before being elected on their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And being mayor of San Francisco isn\u2019t the crown jewel it once was. The city is headed toward, as my colleagues put it, an economic \u201c doom loop,<\/a>\u201d facing a huge budget shortfall, a perpetual homeless challenge, a fentanyl crisis, a shortage of affordable housing and a deserted downtown. For starters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Plus, the next mayor would have to be up for diving deeper into the shark pit of San Francisco politics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even Peskin, no stranger to that pool after a quarter-century in city politics, is leery. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think anybody is interested in running for anything these days,\u201d Peskin said. \u201cBeing an elected official isn\u2019t as fun as it used to be. These are tough times. You\u2019ve got to be a glutton for punishment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ting, who has served in elective office for two decades, said the politics in San Francisco are \u201chyper personal,\u201d regardless of whether you\u2019re moderate or progressive. \u201cI think this is probably the hardest time I\u2019ve seen to be an elected official. People are very angry. You see that from our political divide. Politics are less about consensus and more about division,\u201d said Ting. He is trying to decide \u201cwhether I want to continue to serve in elective office or whether I can make a better contribution\u201d elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keep your eye on Ting, though. He is an appealing candidate to some Breed opponents, because he has name recognition, could unite progressives and peel off some more conservative Asian American voters who would otherwise back Breed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s still time for a progressive to jump into the race, but the clock is running. Moderate San Francisco Supervisor Ahsha Safa\u00ed has said that he is considering<\/a> a run. Daniel Lurie, founder of the anti-poverty organization Tipping Point Community and someone long thought<\/a> to be a potential candidate, is making cryptic comments about a possible run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Progressives aren\u2019t waiting for a candidate to emerge, said Joy Zhan, co-president of San Francisco Young Democrats. Zhan told me that community organizations and Democratic clubs \u201care starting to build a coalition to make sure that we can pump out all the money that is going to be needed to put into the race.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All they need now is someone to direct that money to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reach Joe Garofoli: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com; Twitter: @joegarofoli <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Written By Joe Garofoli<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Joe Garofoli is the San Francisco Chronicle\u2019s 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 is the host of \u201cIt\u2019s All Political,\u201d The Chronicle\u2019s political podcast. Catch it here: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He has won numerous awards and covered everything from fashion to the Jeffrey Dahmer serial killings to two Olympic Games to his own vasectomy \u2014 which he discussed on NPR\u2019s \u201cTalk of the Nation\u201d after being told he couldn\u2019t say the word \u201cballs\u201d on the air. He regularly appears on Bay Area radio and TV talking politics and is available to entertain at bar mitzvahs and First Communions. He is a graduate of Northwestern University and a proud native of Pittsburgh. Go Steelers!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"San$ <\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
$\"HEARST$ \u00a92023 Hearst Communications, Inc.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Joe Garofoli April 9, 2023 (SFChronicle.com) Comments San Francisco progressives have a lot of problems with moderate Mayor London Breed, so why haven\u2019t any of them stepped up to run for mayor? It may seem weird that San Francisco \u2014 the progressive capital of America \u2014 doesn\u2019t yet have a… Continue reading → <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[393],"class_list":["post-25880","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-progressive-sf-mayor"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25880","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25880"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25880\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25880"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25880"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25880"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}