McCoy wins the seat as Yekutiel, still on the ballot, finishes with 13% and the Democratic Party asks Attorney General Rob Bonta to review the assault complaint
Gary McCoy declared victory in the District 8 supervisor race on November 3, completing a turnaround that began when front-runner Manny Yekutiel suspended his campaign October 1 over a second round of sexual assault allegations. Yekutiel's name stayed on the ballot, but he got 13% in the first round and was eliminated.
The San Francisco Democratic Party had already rescinded its endorsement of Yekutiel and backed McCoy. On October 28, the party passed a resolution urging Attorney General Rob Bonta to independently review the assault complaint against Yekutiel, who denies one allegation and says he does not remember the others.
Why it matters
The collapse of a front-runner leaves San Francisco's District 8 race open and puts the city's Democratic machine under scrutiny over misconduct vetting.
13 events
Latest: November 3rd, 2026 · 1 week ago
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November 2026
Gary McCoy declares victory in District 8 supervisor race
LatestElection
McCoy, a former Nancy Pelosi aide, declared victory in the Castro-area seat. Yekutiel, whose name stayed on the ballot, got 13% in the first round and was eliminated.
October 2026
SF Democratic Party urges attorney general to review Yekutiel complaint
Political
The party passed a resolution asking Attorney General Rob Bonta to independently review the sexual assault complaint against Yekutiel.
GrowSF poll shows race down to McCoy vs Patel; GrowSF endorses Patel
Political
A Change Research poll of 421 likely District 8 voters, taken Oct 5-9 for GrowSF, showed Gary McCoy first and Darshini Patel second within the margin of error. Yekutiel placed third. GrowSF endorsed Patel and plans six-figure spending against McCoy.
GrowSF polls voters on possible Yekutiel comeback
Political
GrowSF, which had withdrawn its endorsement, launched a poll asking District 8 voters if they would back Yekutiel should he resume his campaign. The move drew condemnation from SF leaders and fueled speculation about a re-entry.
SF Democratic Party chair apologizes for Yekutiel endorsement
Political
Chair Nancy Tung apologized to accuser Brad Chapin and said the party's process 'broke down and did not protect survivors.' A special meeting is set for Oct 11 to reconsider the endorsement.
Second allegation published; Yekutiel suspends campaign; Lurie withdraws endorsement
Political
Ryan Clark's account appears in the Standard. Yekutiel suspends his campaign, and a wave of endorsers, led by Lurie, exit.
SF Democratic Party schedules meeting to reconsider endorsement
Political
Chair Nancy Tung set a special meeting for October 11 to reconsider the party's endorsement in light of the new allegations.
September 2026
Mayor Daniel Lurie endorses Yekutiel after speaking with him
Political
Lurie said Yekutiel denied the allegation and he believed him. The endorsement came months after Chapin's claim.
August 2026
SF Democratic Party endorses Yekutiel
Political
The county committee voted to endorse Yekutiel after an internal investigation concluded it could not substantiate Chapin's June allegation.
June 2026
San Francisco Standard publishes Chapin's on-record allegation
Media
Yekutiel denies the claim as a political hit. Some endorsers, including Attorney General Rob Bonta, rescind support.
April 2026
Chapin files a police report; investigation is later marked inactive
Legal
Chapin reported the alleged 2020 groping and wore a recording device while confronting Yekutiel. SFPD marked the case inactive.
June 2023
Yekutiel allegedly gropes Ryan Clark and his partner at a Pride party
Allegation
Clark and his partner say Yekutiel aggressively groped them at Electroluxx, a Pride party at The Midway, in June 2023; the claim surfaces on Oct 1, 2026.
February 2020
Yekutiel allegedly gropes Brad Chapin at a house party
Allegation
Chapin says Yekutiel grabbed his genitals at a February 2020 party. The claim becomes public in June 2026.
Scenarios
1
Gary McCoy wins District 8 supervisor seat
Likely
Resolves by Nov 17, 2026
Discussed by: Mission Local and San Francisco political observers see McCoy as the clear beneficiary.
With Yekutiel's campaign suspended and his name still on the ballot, the anti-Yekutiel vote consolidates behind McCoy, a former Nancy Pelosi aide. Yekutiel's supporters either stay home or shift to McCoy. The city certifies McCoy as the winner in November.
2
Manny Yekutiel wins District 8 despite suspension
Unlikely
Resolves by Nov 17, 2026
Discussed by: A remote possibility noted by Mission Local, given his name remains on the ballot and his earlier front-runner status.
Yekutiel's name stays on the ballot with no mechanism to remove it. If his base remains loyal and the allegations fail to move enough voters, he could still top the field. That would create a political crisis for the Board of Supervisors and the mayor.
3
Police reopen an investigation into Yekutiel
Possible
Resolves by Mar 1, 2027
Discussed by: Legal observers and local press, following Ryan Clark's on-record account.
The second on-record allegation, with a named accuser and contemporaneous written documentation, could prompt the San Francisco Police Department to reopen the inactive investigation from Chapin's case or open a new one. Any charges would require the district attorney to find sufficient evidence.
4
Darshini Patel wins District 8 supervisor seat
Deadline passed (Nov 3, 2026)
Discussed by: GrowSF, which endorsed Patel after its October poll
Patel, a former DoorDash employee and campaign organizer, places within the margin of error of McCoy in the GrowSF poll. With GrowSF's six-figure spending against McCoy and her 15,000-plus doors knocked, she could consolidate the anti-McCoy vote and win in November.
Historical Context
2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.
1 of 2
November-December 2017
Al Franken resignation (2017)
Radio host Leeann Tweeden accused Senator Al Franken of forcibly kissing and groping her during a 2006 USO tour. More than a week later, a former congressional aide went on the record saying Franken groped her during a 2010 photo op, with a photograph as evidence.
Then
Facing a wave of Senate colleagues demanding his resignation, Franken stepped down on December 7, 2017.
Now
The case became a reference point for how a single allegation can be survived but a second on-record accuser ends a political career.
Why this matters now
Yekutiel's first accuser in June did not end his campaign; the second, Ryan Clark, did — the same single-to-multiple accuser pattern.
2 of 2
November 2025
Beya Alcaraz appointment (2025)
Mayor Daniel Lurie appointed Beya Alcaraz to the District 4 supervisor seat. After reporting about her emerged within days, the appointment was curtailed after just eight days.
Then
Lurie publicly took responsibility and promised to "thoroughly review our vetting process."
Now
The episode became a reference point for vetting failures in Lurie's administration.
Why this matters now
Mission Local explicitly links the two, noting Lurie said he would learn from the Alcaraz failure before endorsing Yekutiel a year later.
