Dems Debate: Oh How Things Have Changed!
Crime and housing dominated San Francisco's second mayoral debate, held in a setting that says a lot about the state of the city
Favorites in the race for San Francisco mayor faced off again in a second debate, held June 17, in front of a standing-room-only crowd at the UC Law campus in the Tenderloin, a stone’s throw away from some of the city’s more stubborn problems. Sponsored by a local Democratic Party with new leadership, it better reflected the contentious nature of the contest than previous events.
It also allowed frontrunners like Mayor London Breed to differentiate themselves further on issues, including policing, affordability, and economic recovery in a city that’s seen dramatic change in recent years.
The venue, the new Academic Village at UC Law San Francisco, formerly UC Hastings College of the Law, also reflects how the city has changed. Chief Operating Officer Rhiannon Bailard described the school as “an anchor institution within the Tenderloin.” In 2020, the school filed a class action suit over the City’s inaction against the nexus of drug addiction, homelessness, and petty crime and its effect on street conditions in the neighborhood.
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Opening remarks also reflected lessons learned in the political community about ranked-choice voting and its role in the race. With five credible candidates, the wild dynamics of the 2018 mayoral contest, where Breed won after eight passes, are sure to repeat themselves.
“I want to remind everyone out there that this is a race with ranked choice voting,” newly elected Democratic Party Chair Nancy Tung told the standing-room-only crowd. “Do this right now— write down how you would order them today. And then, as the political season progresses towards November, see how that changes.”
Flogging Their Democratic Credentials
Incumbent Breed, former Supervisor Mayor Mark Farrell, Philanthropist Daniel Lurie, Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin, and Supervisor Ahsha Safaí, fielded questions submitted in part by local Democratic clubs, which made for more issue-driven discussion. Naturally, most candidates also emphasized their at least small-p progressive credentials.
First out the gate, Farrell introduced himself to a crowd rich with political insiders with a speech summing up his brand as loyal Democrat, native son, and family man all at once.
“Both my parents were heads of their labor unions at different times in their careers; that's how I grew up,” he told the crowd. “My first job out of college was working for the Clinton-Gore 1996 presidential campaign. I've been a [Democrat] my entire life and am proud of it.”
Later in the debate, as candidates were able to ask each other questions, Breed took a tact first lobbed at Farrell at the forum hosted by the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club on May 23—that his [comparatively] straightlaced background may not be as LGBT-adjacent as a Democratic party vanguard might like.
Asked again whether he had LGBT people on his campaign, Farrell finally spilled some tea: he has the support and advice of former Supervisor Jeff Sheehy and has two gay staffers that he wouldn’t name “to dignify the question.” He’s also the only candidate that has repeatedly used the word “queer” to describe the LGBT community. Whether that convinces activists that Farrell is doing more than just lip service, or is a paternalist who sees leading a diverse Democratic city as the Square Man’s Burden, remains to be seen.
Safaí stressed his immigrant history, self-made public policy career, and commitment to everyday people, asking the audience, “Who on this stage will fight for all San Franciscans, not just the billionaires and heirs, but all working families? Right?” This was followed by an uneasy chuckle that seemingly crystallized the tenor of his campaign.
Lurie eschewed appeals to party loyalty, doubling down on his outsider status. “The City Hall insiders that got us into this mess won't get us out, but we know this not because of what you'll hear them say tonight but because of their records,” he said, almost as if he were reproving the audience. “I'm the only one on stage that's held nonprofits accountable in areas of housing, education, and employment [...] that's what it's gonna take to make our city safe and clean and the open air drug markets, build more housing and bring our businesses back.”
Breed, the besieged incumbent, gave a spirited defense of her record, bouncing back from what some called a lackluster and defensive show at the previous week’s debate.
“Can we just take a moment to reflect on the fact that we've been through a very difficult time [...] I led the city through a once-in-a-hundred-year global pandemic, and we saved lives,” reminding attendees of how San Francisco weathered the pandemic better than any other big city. She lambasted opponents as scapegoating the city over its problems. “They want to continue to push against the city and make you feel bad about San Francisco [...] I'm the only one here running for San Francisco,” she said, emphasizing a record with fewer people living on the streets, less crime, and a commitment to more housing.
Sitting right next to Breed and last to introduce himself was Peskin, who, as leader of a highly oppositional Board of Supervisors, could reasonably be blamed for at least some of her alleged failures.
Instead of addressing those issues, he talked about Donald Trump.
“I've served twice as [Democratic Party] chair and was very proud to lead our efforts to get Barack Obama elected in 2008 with record turnout in San Francisco [...], and in 2024, we all need to come together to do that again and defeat Donald Trump. And at the same time, we also need to get Republican money out of our local elections,” referring to recent moderate victories these last two years, riding on dual waves of widespread outrage at progressive excesses and donations from business interests.
Peskin received significant applause from the insider-dominated crowd. Still, many likely scratched their heads over the emphasis on national elections in a city where Trump will never get more than 12% of the vote. Nevertheless, it represented a significant improvement over his performance the previous week, which recalled a wooden model of Bernie Sanders.
Farrell, Breed, and Policing
A highlight of the second debate, dominated by a discussion of crime for over half its time, was the raucous exchange between Breed and Farrell over policing. Until he jumped into the race in February, Breed was seen as a champion of restoring a department increasingly hollowed out, mainly due to nationwide trends, in the face of resistance from progressive supervisors.
Enter Farrell. “Public safety is now the number one issue in San Francisco,” laying blame for the issue of police staffing on Breed.
“The reason we don't have enough police officers is because this current mayor cannot recruit police officers here in town because she defunded our police department, because she turned her back on our police officers,” referring to Breed’s diversion of law enforcement funding in 2020 to the Dream Keeper Initiative, a program aimed at turning around economic challenges for Black residents in reaction to national and local outrage over the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Breed has since restored and increased police funding.
Meanwhile, Farrell’s capture of the public safety issue prompted Breed to shift her narrative on it at least slightly to the left, at least for the partisan audience.
“This is not the Republican National Convention, where every answer to public safety is police,” Breed retorted. She also pointed out how crime has decreased since Farrell last worked in City Hall.
What crimes remain in the public eye since Covid are particularly visible, like retail robberies which have become public spectacles due to the proliferation of cameras and new criminal tactics possibly influenced by Proposition 47, a state measure passed by voters in 2014 aimed at keeping non-violent criminals out of crowded prisons. Other pain points include the post-Covid spike in hate crimes and vehicle “sideshows,” which police seem powerless to do anything about.
Then there’s the drug problem, which everyone in attendance at Monday’s debate must surely be aware of. Supervisors Peskin and Safaí pitched old saws such as community policing and public health approaches to drug use, without much to say about their success or lack thereof. Time will tell whether any success Breed’s policies may have had will become more visible before election day.
Safaí did get one bonus, however. Farrell endorsed his plan to set up a student loan forgiveness fund for first responders.
Housing - ‘San Francisco is not a museum’
Both Breed and Farrell made solid appeals for more housing. At the same time, Peskin accused her of trying to bring back the city’s divisive redevelopment era with current plans to upzone many neighborhoods.
“San Francisco is a living and breathing city. It is not a museum,” Breed countered. “It's important that we look at ways to get more density, not just in transit corridors but other neighborhoods. And to be clear, I am not trying to do a ‘Redevelopment 2.0’ and bulldoze neighborhoods [...] Is it realistic to think that on Sloat Blvd., there will be a 50-story building? That will not happen, but could an 8- to 10-story building exist? Yes. That is what we need to start thinking about.”
Meanwhile, Peskin proffered traditional complaints about density, committing to his historical stance of neighborhood input and subsidized housing.
“I will be a mayor devoted to building affordable housing, which is precisely what I have stood for. That is why I have never voted against affordable housing and supported over a billion dollars in general obligation bonds,” he told the crowd.
“Some folks will tell you (as a matter of fact, a lot of the candidates on this stage will tell you) that if we build a lot of any kind of housing, prices will drop. Well, that’s a bunch of horse pucky,” Peskin added, in a year that has featured headlines about plunging condo prices and rents.
He also committed to quickly implementing any repeal of the state Costa - Hawkins law, preventing rent control expansion. Bills to do this repeatedly fail in Sacramento, but an initiative has qualified for the November state ballot.
Farrell offered policy goals similar to Breed’s but with perhaps a lighter touch implied between the lines. He also reiterated his fostering of new housing at former hospital sites in Presidio Heights and the former Lucky Penny diner on Geary.
Involuntary Comic Relief Dept.
Lurie became the focus of a couple of awkward moments during the debate.
On housing, the Levi Strauss scion continued his indictment of political insiders, the notoriously onerous permit system, and its resultant cottage industry of permit expediters.
As soon as Lurie said “expediter,” the house lights went out briefly.
“They’re really trying to shut me down,” he told a tittering audience.
Later, Safaí complained about how Lurie’s campaign benefited from his family’s considerable wealth.
“I think it's important for the voters of San Francisco and everyone in the room if they didn't already know, to know that your mother gave a million dollars to your candidacy. And why is that important? Well, guess what? For contrast, my mother's here; she gave me $150.”
While a germane issue, another candidate may have carried it better.
The Democratic party is expected to make its coveted endorsement in the race next month. They are still streaming the debate from their Facebook page.