San Francisco Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie had a message for the city’s LGBTQ community in the wake of Tuesday’s election, which saw him defeat incumbent London Breed even as Republican Donald Trump was elected to a second term as president.Lurie visited Openhouse, an organization supporting LGBTQ seniors, which collaborates with Mercy Housing California to offer
LGBTQ-friendly affordable senior housing across two buildings at 55 and 95 Laguna Street.“You will have an ally in the mayor’s office every single day with me,” Lurie assured LGBTQ seniors at Openhouse near the Castro on the afternoon of November 8. “I recognize the challenges nationally, but I want you to know that I will always stand by you. Always. Without question.”
Lurie also said the city needs more spaces like Openhouse, which he said was beautiful.In fact, Openhouse and Mercy Housing were selected by the city to oversee the construction of 187-units of affordable housing aimed at LGBTQ seniors at the corner of Market Street and Duboce Avenue. Breed’s administration bought the labor union-owned property for $12 million in 2020.
The project has been delayed as Mercy officials try to secure governmental funds to help pay for its construction. As the Bay Area Reporter in September, a state agency that funds housing projects for the second year in a row rejected Mercy’s application, though it said it welcomed it applying again in 2025.
Breed concedes
The gathering with seniors and LGBTQ community leaders occurred just hours after Breed conceded the election, marking the close of her term on January 8. In a November 7 statement, Breed — who had 46% of the vote compared to Lurie’s 56% in the final ranked-choice tally — reminded voters of her start as mayor following Ed Lee’s sudden passing in late 2017, and her leadership during the city’s challenges, including the COVID pandemic.
“Being mayor of San Francisco has been the greatest honor of my lifetime. I’m beyond grateful to our residents for the opportunity to serve the city that raised me,” she stated. “At the end of the day, this job is bigger than any one person and what matters is that we keep moving this city forward.
“Today, I called Daniel Lurie and congratulated him on his victory in this election,” she added. “Over the coming weeks, my staff and I will work to ensure a smooth transition as he takes on the honor of serving as mayor of San Francisco. I know we are both committed to improving this city we love.”
At a Friday morning speech and news conference at St. Mary’s Square in Chinatown, Lurie thanked Breed for what he described as an “incredibly gracious” phone call and for her love of the city.
“No matter who you supported in this election, we stand united in the fight for San Francisco’s future and a safer, more affordable city for all,” Lurie said. “I entered this race not as a politician but as a dad who couldn’t explain to my kids what they were seeing on our streets. In our house, when you love something as much as we love San Francisco you fight for it.”
Lurie, an heir to the Levi Strauss fortune who said he may forgo the mayoral salary of over $300,000, had served as the executive director of the nonprofit Tipping Point Community. The 47-year-old San Francisco native and Democrat has never held elected office and ran on a platform of addressing the problems that have dogged major metro cities nationwide, particularly since COVID and particularly in the Bay Area — street crime and the cost of living chief among them.
Similar concerns led Oakland voters to recall its mayor, Sheng Thao, on Election Day, and saw the highest-ever support for Trump in cities from New York to San Francisco (though Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris still won solid majorities).
National results loom large over SF
The national election cast a significant influence over Friday’s events, with Lurie expressing his vision to make San Francisco a model of effective governance for the country.
“Hope and strong values alone aren’t enough — they need to drive action and produce results,” Lurie emphasized. “Our responsibility is to demonstrate how government should fulfill its promises: ensuring clean, safe streets for everyone, addressing the drug and behavioral health crises, reforming a broken bureaucracy, building sufficient housing so residents can afford to stay, supporting small businesses, and revitalizing downtown.”
Lurie stated he would collaborate with the incoming Trump administration on these issues when beneficial.“While I have serious disagreements with President-elect Donald Trump, I won’t let those differences stand in the way of addressing the challenges facing our city,” he said. “I also want to make clear that I have the back of everyone here in San Francisco.”
Lurie highlighted public safety as his top priority and plans to declare a state of emergency on day one to combat the fentanyl overdose crisis. He did not specify any individuals he plans to appoint to city positions or to his staff.
He also noted he would respect Breed’s authority to appoint a new supervisor for District 2, which includes the Marina. Catherine Stefani, the current supervisor, was elected to the state Assembly and will assume office in early December before Breed’s term concludes. Stefani initially took the supervisor role through an appointment by Mark Farrell after he became interim mayor following Mayor Ed Lee’s passing.
Other major candidates concede
The transition in leadership, with Farrell stepping in for Breed and then Breed winning a special election in 2018, marked a continuation of a long-standing rivalry between the two.
Farrell, who ran in this year’s mayoral race and placed fourth with 18.5% of the first-choice votes according to recent preliminary results, conceded on November 7. “Though the results weren’t what we aimed for, we created a citywide movement driven by a shared vision for a cleaner, safer, and more dynamic San Francisco,” he remarked. “Let’s rally behind our next mayor. It’s the right thing to do. Let’s commit to supporting their success while holding them accountable so San Francisco can reach its full potential.”
District 11 Supervisor Ahsha Safaí came in fifth with 2.7% of first-choice votes, as per the latest preliminary count. “Running for mayor of this great city over the past 18 months has been the honor of a lifetime,” he said. “I’m deeply grateful for the support from every corner of the city, from working families to teachers, plumbers, janitors, and people from all walks of life who want what we all want: a functional city, safe streets, affordable housing, and an inclusive future.”
Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin placed third with 21.6% of first-choice votes in the initial tally. Peskin shared that he reached out to Lurie, saying, “In my five campaigns for supervisor, I have never claimed victory until every ballot was counted, out of respect for the voters. With over 140,000 ballots still left to count, I did call Daniel Lurie yesterday to congratulate him early and express my eagerness to collaborate for San Francisco’s benefit.”
Peskin’s term as supervisor will end in January, and current results show candidate Danny Sauter leading in the race to succeed him.
LGBTQs react
I was personally glad to see him come by so soon, and that he took the time to visit us, the LGBTQ seniors,” shared Zwazzi Sowo, a 71-year-old lesbian. “It showed me that he won’t forget us, and I really liked that.”However, Sowo’s wife, Naomi Prochovnick, a 70-year-old lesbian, added, “I’m disappointed he didn’t take questions. But I understand it’s probably been a busy day.”
Mark Leno, a former supervisor and state legislator who ran a close race against Breed in 2018, endorsed Peskin as his first choice and Lurie as his second this year. At Openhouse, he commented, “I believe he wanted to show his support for our community thoughtfully, especially during a time when many are feeling vulnerable.”
Sister Roma from the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a philanthropic drag nun group, expressed optimism: “I’m excited to work with him and continue the progress that Mayor Breed began for the LGBTQ community, especially for the trans community.”
Breed’s initiatives for the LGBTQ community have included supporting the renovation of Harvey Milk Plaza (with Proposition B funding expected to pass), establishing the city’s first drag laureate position, and appointing LGBTQ leaders to head city departments such as fire, transportation, human resources, homelessness, and public health.
She also declared a public health emergency during the 2022 mpox outbreak to mobilize resources. In 2019, Breed appointed Jeanine Nicholson as the city’s first lesbian fire chief; she retired in August and was succeeded by Sandy Tong, the department’s first Asian American head and a strong ally. Additionally, Breed pledged to end trans homelessness by 2027, dedicating $6.5 million in her 2022 budget to support this goal.
Tyler TerMeer, Ph.D., CEO of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, stated, “I want to congratulate Mayor-elect Lurie and thank him for reaching out to us during his campaign to understand our work supporting the LGBTQ community, people with HIV, and those who use substances. We look forward to collaborating with him to support our vulnerable communities.”
Tyler “Tye” Gregory, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council, expressed pride: “As an LGBTQ Jew, I’m proud to have a Jewish mayor in San Francisco. I know he will advocate for the rights of queer and trans San Franciscans and all minority groups..”
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