In the constantly changing world of politics, it is important to remember Ronald Reagan’s timeless observation about individuals inadvertently reaching incorrect conclusions. He said: “It’s not that they’re ignorant, it’s just that they know so much that just isn’t so.”
That observation has been affirmed with regard to Daniel Lurie, the current mayor of San Francisco.
San Francisco has long been viewed by many as a liberal stronghold, in part because it is the home of Congresswoman and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.
That view just isn’t so.
In 2024, Daniel Lurie, a Democratic moderate, defeated San Francisco’s incumbent mayor in a ranked-choice election.
That relatively complex and time-consuming election process required 14 rounds of voting before Lurie eventually prevailed over five candidates with 55% of the vote. He was the city’s first mayor since 1911 to be elected without previously serving in government at any level.
Lurie was born and raised in San Francisco. In 2000, he worked as a field organizer in Iowa on New Jersey Democratic U.S. Senator Bill Bradley’s presidential nomination campaign. That was his only involvement in politics until he ran for mayor as a self-described outsider, despite being a San Francisco native.
In 2001, he moved to New York City to work for the Robin Hood Foundation, the same foundation where Governor Moore served as CEO from 2017 to 2021. In 2005, Lurie returned to San Francisco and launched Tipping Point Community, a charitable foundation with a mission to build community to advance the most promising poverty-fighting solutions.
During and since his successful mayoral campaign, Lurie has embraced bipartisanship.
He welcomed an endorsement from the conservative San Francisco Briones Society whose co-founder and president has served as the political affairs vice chair of the San Francisco Republican Party and is active in the California Republican Party. A society spokesperson said, that as a moderate Democratic candidate, Lurie’s goals are common sense and not political; improve safety, end homelessness, and shut down open-air drug markets.
The San Francisco Chronicle also endorsed him, noting his balance of compassion and toughness on key policy issues.
Since his election, he has also focused on bipartisanship for the good of San Francisco. He has also refused to weigh in on national politics.
Last October, Lurie had a cordial phone conversation with President Trump. They discussed crime in San Francisco, especially the proliferation of illegal drugs. Following that phone call, Lurie said, “I told him the same thing I told our residents – I will work with anyone who wants to help San Francisco.” Lurie also told Trump that he welcomes the city’s “continued partnership” with the federal Drug Enforcement Administration and other federal resources to get illegal drugs off the streets, especially Fentanyl.
Lurie’s bipartisan approach to campaigning and governing have paid political dividends.
In Politico, Dustin Gardier, Blake Jones, and Melanie Mason have written, “Lurie won the mayor’s office by running as a candidate unbeholden to the city’s moderate or progressive political establishments and removed from years of bitter dysfunction at City Hall. Now, 18 months into his tenure, Lurie and his allies are building a new political machine.”
A key component of that new political machine is a non-profit advocacy group named Believe in SF. This group funds digital advertising, direct mail, newspaper ads, polling, and policy research focused on generating public awareness of and public support for Lurie’s vision for San Francisco.
Another key component of the political machine is SF Believes, a political action committee to support moderate candidates and advocacy for or against ballot measures in local elections.
The results to date have been measurable.
Two of Lurie’s moderate allies on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors (City Council) won competitive primary election races by wide margins against progressive opponents. San Francisco voters also overwhelmingly rejected a union-led ballot measure strongly opposed by Lurie that would have raised taxes on large corporations with “overpaid CEOs.”
Lurie’s most recent job performance rating is 74 percent positive.
Despite his successes to date, Lurie has said regularly that he has no interest in pursuing another elected office.
Going forward, Lurie’s approach to campaigning and governing is a case study for both political parties to consider in their mission to recruit and support candidates at every level of government who can not only win but can also govern well if elected.
Daniel Lurie’s nontraditional political journey is irrefutable evidence that moderate candidates can energize mobilize and gain the support of voters even in places like San Francisco.
Lurie is also a reminder that an increasing number of voters everywhere are deeply disenchanted with candidates for public office at all levels of government.
That is especially the case with those focused on running for a higher office, those who rigidly adhere to far-right or far-left positions, and who show no commitment to working together with any sense of urgency to address major unresolved issues that voters expect and deserve.
David Reel is a public affairs consultant. He has been a participant in and observer of politics in Annapolis, Richmond, Memphis, Harrisburg, Philadelphia, and Talbot County. He lives in Easton.
