Four of the five mayoral candidates in this year’s election debated the future of San Francisco on Wednesday, Sept. 11. The candidates included former interim Mayor Mark Farrell, philanthropist Daniel Lurie, President of the Board of Supervisors Aaron Peskin, and Supervisor Ahsha Safaí who discussed four topics – crime and safety, homelessness and drug use, downtown revitalization and housing and affordability.
Current Mayor London Breed was absent from the debate, telling CBS, “I am the mayor of San Francisco, not just a candidate… I have to be very selective about the number of the debates and the amount of time I’m able to be available for these kinds of opportunities.”
The debate was hosted by KCBS All News Radio and the San Francisco Examiner, and candidates spoke in front of a live audience with two minutes allotted per answer, and later responded to audience inquiries.
Earlier this month, Breed was leading the polls with 30% of first-choice votes. Farrell and Lurie were tied at 19%, with Peskin and Safaí tailing the front runners. This poll, conducted by FM3 Research and financed by an independent committee backing Lurie, had a margin of error of 4% at the 95% confidence level. With just under two months until the election on Nov. 5, poll numbers have several weeks of possible fluctuation ahead.
For some USF students like sophomore nursing major Emily Tu, this is the first time they’re hearing about the mayoral election. She said, “I’m not really familiar… but I think it’s very relevant because we’re living in San Francisco, even if we’re just students.”
For others, like Anela Martinez, a first year communications major, relevancy is only one part of the conversation surrounding city politics. Martinez, who is a registered voter in Hawaii, noted, “It’s difficult being in college— we have so many people from so many different places and they’re not all registered to vote in California. People still want to vote at home because it still affects them.”
During the debate, Farrell discussed the causes of stalled building projects, saying “It’s upzoning, it’s legislation, and it’s mayoral directives,” referencing the site of the former Lucky Penny Diner at the intersection of Geary and Masonic. Students may recognize the property, located a few blocks north of USF’s campus.
Safaí discussed the potential for expanding student housing into San Francisco’s downtown.
Sophomore finance major Arianna Costello said, “As sophomores we’re still privileged with on campus housing, but next year it’s a new reality of finding affordable housing near campus.”
Zia Mohammad, a sophomore psychology major, said, “I was looking at [moving off campus] last year and it was extremely expensive. I think that we would really benefit from [affordable housing].”
Peskin proposed an increase in rent control in the city. Safaí said, “The reason I’m running is because you shouldn’t have to be rich to live in San Francisco.”
Further debate topics surrounding homelessness and drug use were intertwined with discussions about affordable housing. Candidates spoke about homeless encampment sweeping, which began en masse in July, following a recent Supreme Court ruling. Safaí said “the word ‘sweeps’ is clickbait,” referencing their execution, but did not specify his position on them. Farrell explicitly supported the sweeps, saying the goal is to make it “inconvenient to sleep on streets.” Lurie did not discuss the matter, and Peskin, the only candidate to take an anti-sweep stance, said “Sweeps don’t solve the problem, they just move homeless people from one neighborhood to another.”
Lurie proposed changing first-time drug dealer sentencing to include ankle monitors, whereas Farrell suggested declaring fentanyl use in San Francisco a state of emergency. Safaí discussed the prospect of safe injection sites and overdose prevention methods.
Tu said, “Whatever happens with the mayoral election kind of determines how the city runs… so I think it’s important to know.”
Students who have an interest in learning more about the candidate’s positions before the election will have a chance to livestream the next mayoral debate, hosted by the San Francisco Chronicle and KQED on Thursday, Sept. 19.
Editor-in-Chief: Jordan Premmer, Chief Copy Editor: Sophia McCrackin, Managing Editor: Jordan DelFiugo, News Editor: Phebe Bridges, Sports Editor: John Lindroos
