Early results show San Francisco's political climate is continuing to shift
San Francisco overwhelmingly supported Prop 36 - a tough-on-crime measure meant to reform Prop 47. Earlier this year, they approved drug testing for benefits recipients and expanded police policies.
District Attorney Brooke Jenkins was soundly re-elected. And with outgoing Supervisors Aaron Peskin, the board will lose at least one progressive. Much has been said of San Francisco's shift to the center in recent years and it may well have continued last night.
"We still have a lot of ballots to count so we don't know exactly how things are going to go," said Sachin Agarwal, Director of GrowSF. "But what we really hope to see in a potentially a new era in San Francisco politics is more collaboration between people."
Agarwal is thinking big, and why not? His GrowSF group launched barely four years ago, and since then they have successfully campaigned to recall three progressive school board members and a progressive district attorney. Earlier this year they won a raft of centrist city reforms at the ballot box, and now, it appears they will get one of their moderate choices for mayor and still more moderates on the board of supervisors.
"I don't think it's about any of these labels," he said. "I think it is just about the basics working in the city like our government delivers for the citizens here."
"What I'm seeing in this election is that they were looking for complete control and they didn't get it," said Tim Redmond, Author at 48 Hills. "It looks right now like they didn't get it. The progressives are still holding their own in some areas. Let's keep in mind we have not had a progressive mayor in San Francisco since 1987 when Art Agnos was elected."
Redmond, a longtime writer at 48 Hills said progressives will lose some more ground on the board in this election with two races still up in the air. But he said that should be put in context.
"It looks like Supervisor Connie Chan may win in District 1," he said. "And Dean Preston may win in District 5. And Prop D is going down and Jackie Fielder, who's a very progressive candidate may win in District 9. So, at a time when national politics looks really bleak, it looks like progressives in San Francisco are holding their own against a really massive billionaire assault."
Does he have any concern that, after a couple cycles like this, that pointing at the funding is ineffectual.
"That's the big question," Redmond said. "Of course, it is the same question with you know things like ethics violations. Mark Farrell just got this huge fine. Do the voters really care? Can we, as progressives, and I am a journalist but as you know from 48 Hills, I am a progressive journalist. Can we make that point that it's not just the money, it's the agenda behind it."
"You know, I think people in San Francisco just want the basics to work," Agarwal said. "And our leaders and City Hall have been failing at that."
