S.F. mayoral candidates wade into District 5 race vs. Dean Preston

San Francisco’s mayoral candidates are starting to point out a specific curiosity in District 5, as Mayor London Breed and former Supervisor Mark Farrell choose their favourite amongst these operating for supervisor in opposition to incumbent Dean Preston. 

Political newcomer Scotty Jacobs introduced at the moment that he acquired Farrell’s endorsement and, earlier this month, Breed threw her help behind Bilal Mahmood, one other comparatively new arrival. Preston, in the meantime, has lengthy had the help of fellow Supervisor Aaron Peskin, who appeared at Preston’s re-election marketing campaign occasion earlier than Peskin introduced his personal candidacy for mayor.

Different districts haven’t but seen the identical curiosity from the mayoral hopefuls: Farrell has not made endorsements in any of the 5 different ongoing supervisor races, and Daniel Lurie has made no endorsements. Breed and Peskin, in the meantime, have made sporadic endorsements across the metropolis.

District 5 is likely one of the most-watched supervisor races this election, wherein candidates vying to signify a various swath of town, from Haight-Ashbury to the Tenderloin, have raised almost $1 million in contributions and public financing, and outdoors teams have raised much more to take away Preston, town’s most progressive elected politician, from workplace. 

Peskin’s help for Preston is a logical step, as the 2 are longtime colleagues and politically aligned; progressive District 5 voters are anticipated to help each Preston for supervisor and Peskin for mayor.

Political analysts and observers, nevertheless, mentioned they doubted that the endorsements of mayoral candidates would have a lot affect for the District 5 supervisor hopefuls. As an alternative, they mentioned, the advantages may lie with the mayoral candidates.

Farrell, for instance, is little identified within the progressive-leaning district. And his conservative-leaning insurance policies as a former supervisor, like Prop. Q, which he co-sponsored in 2016 to ban tents on public sidewalks, have been rejected by residents there. 

“It’s to get votes from [Jacobs], versus giving and getting [him] votes,” mentioned Jim Stearns, Peskin’s marketing consultant, concerning Farrell’s motivation for endorsing Jacobs — who’s canvassing and campaigning throughout the district. Farrell may be hoping Jacobs may “carry a message” for him.  

Jacobs, who has leaned into harsher public-safety approaches like deporting drug sellers and compelling therapy, confirmed that he helps Farrell’s marketing campaign for mayor. As of June 30, Jacobs had raised $23,355.