SAN FRANCISCO– Daniel Lurie, heir to the Levi Strauss fortune and philanthropist who has never held public office, pledged Friday that as mayor of San Francisco he will help struggling small businesses and end open-air drug markets.
“Your voice and your calls for responsible leadership, service and change have been heard,” Lurie said in a park in San Francisco’s Chinatown, making his first public comments since Mayor London Breed called on him to relent the previous day’s race.
Lurie said he chose Chinatown for Friday’s event to underscore how important the area’s health is to transforming San Francisco. The day after the election, he walked around the neighborhood and visited merchants again on Friday. Chinese voters are also critical to San Francisco’s citywide victory.
The Associated Press has not yet declared a winner in Tuesday’s election because tens of thousands of ballots have not yet been counted and added to its ranked vote calculations.
But on Friday, Lurie had a big lead in the early election results, and Breed called Lurie on Thursday to congratulate him. She posted on social platform X that she and her staff will work to ensure the political newcomer has a smooth transition as he takes over as mayor.
“I know we are both committed to improving this city we love,” Breed wrote.
Lurie’s rise was remarkable for a candidate with little name recognition who appears to have defeated two San Francisco supervisors and a former interim mayor.
His deep pockets helped. Lurie spent nearly $9 million of his own money on his first campaign for mayor and raised more than $16 million, including $1 million from his mother Mimi Haas. Lurie is the stepson of the late Peter Haas, a great-grandnephew of Levi Strauss and longtime CEO of the iconic clothing company.
Race victory six years ago as the city’s first Black female mayor – who grew up poor in public housing – showed that no dream was impossible in the progressive, compassionate and just city. But the honeymoon was short-lived due to the COVID-19 pandemic closed shops and tech workers retreated to home offices. The number of tent camps increased, as did public drug use.
Streets became cleaner and homeless tents are much harder to findbut the daytime recordings in September by 49ers rookie Ricky Pearsall in a popular central shopping area reignited the public safety debate. She faced several opponents who accused her of doing too late and too little.
When it comes to policy, Lurie is not much different from Breed. Lurie said he wants to build more housing, crack down on drug dealers, get the homeless off the streets and deal with drug users who refuse help with compassion but firmness.
But he said that as a political outsider, he would take a critical look at the bureaucracy, nonprofits and department heads that are failing to get rid of them and focus on results.
Lurie plans to increase the city’s police presence, declare a fentanyl emergency, set up 1,500 temporary shelter beds within six months and dramatically streamline the permitting process so small businesses can thrive, he said.
His opponents on the campaign trail trashed Lurie for spending so much money, but his supporters didn’t seem to mind, nor did they seem bothered by his lack of experience in government. Several people at Friday’s event said they were familiar with the anti-poverty nonprofit he founded in 2005, Tipping Point Community.
“I’m so glad Daniel is here because special interests are gone. He doesn’t need the money, it’s all about passion for this city,” said Shirletha Holmes-Boxx, 67, community organizer.
Lurie, 47, said he plans to put his assets into a blind trust and talk to the city attorney about waiving the mayor’s $380,000 annual salary.
Paul Yep, a retired San Francisco Police Department captain, said Lurie won him over early with his ideas, passion and purpose for running.
“I saw his dedication and his love for San Francisco,” Yep said. “I knew the outsider’s point of view was exactly what was needed.”
Lurie planned to visit other parts of the city Friday, including a senior center, lunch at a gumbo social, ice cream with his two children and happy hour at a pub.
“So many people love this city, it’s time to make people feel like the city loves them back,” he said Friday, with his wife Becca Prowda by his side as scores of supporters took photos, clapped hands and cheered along . joy.