San Francisco Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie declared victory Friday morning as he addressed the city for the first time since leaving office Mayor London Breed conceded the race Thursday afternoon.
Speaking at 11 a.m. at St. Mary’s Square on California St. with his wife and a group of supporters, Lurie opened his comments by acknowledging his victory.
“Your voice and your call for responsible leadership, service and change have been heard,” he said. “I stand before you, humbled and inspired, with the great honor and privilege of serving you, the people of San Francisco, as your next mayor.”
He went on to thank his family – including his children who were in school – and the people of San Francisco, as well as Breed.
“Yesterday I received a friendly call from Mayor London Breed. She offered her assistance during this transition, and we are both committed to working together to prepare for the hard work ahead,” Lurie said. “Her love for this city has always been evident and I would like to thank her for her service.”
There were rumors that Breed would have to abandon the race earlier Thursday after coming in behind Lurie in the latest results. She initially announced her concession on social media just after 4:30 p.m before addressing the media at San Francisco City Hall less than an hour later.
Best known as the heir to the Levi Strauss and Co. fortune, prior to his run for Mayor Lurie, he focused his energies on his nonprofits, including the Bay Area anti-poverty organization Tipping Point and the Civic Joy Fund, an organization of which he was a co-founder. last year, which aims to help San Francisco’s post-pandemic economic recovery and increase community engagement.
Competing against the incumbent mayor and other candidates with current or prior experience on the city’s Board of Supervisors (or, in Mark Farrell’s case, interim mayor), Lurie firmly positioned himself as a political outsider during the campaign.
“I entered this race not as a politician, but as a father who couldn’t explain to my children what they saw on my streets. In our house, when you love something as much as San Francisco, you fight for it. We knew it wouldn’t be easy,” Lurie said. “Our biggest resistance was cynicism itself. A nagging feeling that maybe it has to be that way. But I can tell you after 250 meet-and-greets, 150 merchant walks and our team that more than. has knocked on 140,000 doors and had thousands of open and honest conversations in every neighborhood across seven square miles, hope is alive and well in San Francisco.”
Lurie campaigned on tackling some of the city’s toughest challenges, including homelessness, the drug crisis, public safety and affordable housing. He spoke about these issues in his first speech as mayor-elect.
“Our mandate is to show how government must deliver on its promises: clean and safe streets for all, addressing our drug and behavioral health crisis, shaking up the corrupt and ineffective bureaucracy, building enough housing so our neighbors can can afford to live here, supporting our small businesses and breathing life back into downtown,” he said.
He also emphasized the need to go beyond party politics to implement change.
“We need to turn the page on the politics of demonizing each other on every issue in the realities of everyday life,” Lurie said. “People see themselves as progressive, moderate or conservative. We see ourselves as San Franciscans.”
Lurie also emphasized responsibility when he hinted at his plans to shake up City Hall.
“We have begun an aggressive search for a world-class board that reflects the passion and diversity of the San Franciscans they will serve,” he said. “Let me be clear: the people I hire and appoint will not serve me. They will serve all of you. They will serve you and your desire to have a town hall that works and listens for you, even if we don’t agree.
Lurie also addressed the momentous change of President-elect Donald Trump returning to the White House with his decisive victory over Vice President Kamala Harris.
“As we celebrate this victory, I recognize that many feel a great sense of fear and loss about the state of our country. I share those concerns,” Lurie said. “Under my watch, San Francisco will stand up for the rights of all our neighbors. We will never turn a blind eye to racism, bigotry or anti-Asian hatred. We will continue to harness the power of innovation and protect the future of our society. our planet, and once again become a magnet for creative minds.”
The mayor-elect drew heavily on his family fortune during the campaign, pumping nearly $9 million of his own money into his bid for office. That became a frequent point of criticism from Breed and other opponents.
However, when Breed was asked if she felt Lurie had bought himself into the job after her concession speech on Thursday, she replied: “The campaign should be behind us. We need to move forward as a city. We can’t look backwards. The voters of San Francisco have made their decision and I, as Mayor of San Francisco, have always respected the voters and the decisions they have made.
Regarding his personal wealth, Lurie said Friday that he would place all his assets into a blind trust the day he takes office. He also noted that he did not expect to receive a salary for the job, but said he would have to talk to the city attorney about the matter.
In addition to the challenges Lurie mentioned Friday morning, he will also inherit an estimated $800 million budget deficit in San Francisco over the next two years.
A significant portion of that budget also comes from federal funding, which could be at risk under the incoming second Trump administration.
