Pull to refresh
Logo
Daily Brief
Following Why Sign Up
Chris Larsen's $500K donation to SF supervisor race spotlights unlimited PAC money

Chris Larsen's $500K donation to SF supervisor race spotlights unlimited PAC money

Money Moves San Francisco, CA local

Independent groups can take unlimited checks; direct donations to candidates are capped at $500. The city is moving to close the loophole.

September 4th, 2026: Opponents attack the donation

Overview

Updated 6 days ago

San Francisco caps direct donations to supervisor candidates at $500. Chris Larsen gave 1,000 times that, dropping $500,000 into a political action committee backing Theo Ellington's District 10 campaign.

The check is among the largest single donations to a group supporting one city-candidate in San Francisco history. Ellington, a moderate running to replace termed-out progressive Supervisor Shamann Walton, could give Mayor Daniel Lurie's bloc a new seat in November. The city is also targeting the related loophole: ethics commissioners voted 4-0 in August to recommend applying the $500 cap to candidate-controlled committees.

Why it matters

One $500K check could decide District 10 and tip the Board toward Lurie's moderates, even as the city moves to close the loophole.

Questions about this story

Free account needed to ask — your question is kept and asked for you right after sign-up. Answers are public.

No questions yet — be the first to ask.

Key Indicators

$500K
Larsen's donation to Ellington PAC
Among the largest single-candidate PAC donations in San Francisco history.
$250K
Moritz's June donation to GrowSF for D4
The prior outsized benchmark, exactly half of Larsen's check.
$500
Direct contribution cap per donor
The limit that independent PAC money bypasses entirely.
$472K
Ellington's campaign account (early Sept)
Leads DJ Brookter's $129K and JR Eppler's $151K.
4-0
Ethics Commission vote on loophole reform
Commissioners unanimously recommended applying the $500 cap to candidate-controlled committees.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

Ever wondered what historical figures would say about today's headlines?

Sign up to generate historical perspectives on this story.

Log in Sign Up

People Involved

Chris Larsen
Chris Larsen
Co-founder of Ripple Labs; major San Francisco political donor
Key financial backer of Mayor Daniel Lurie and his allies
 Theo Ellington
Theo Ellington
Candidate for District 10 supervisor
Holds a large fundraising lead; endorsed by GrowSF
DB
Dion-Jay "DJ" Brookter
Candidate for District 10 supervisor
Campaign held about $129K in early September
JE
JR Eppler
Candidate for District 10 supervisor
Campaign held about $151K in early September
 Aaron Peskin
Aaron Peskin
Former San Francisco supervisor; spending critic
Left office; continues to criticize campaign spending
 Daniel Lurie
Daniel Lurie
Mayor of San Francisco
In office; his moderate bloc would grow if Ellington wins
 Shamann Walton
Shamann Walton
Incumbent District 10 supervisor
Termed out at the end of 2026

Organizations Involved

FN
From the Neighborhood, for the City, Supporting Theo Ellington for Supervisor 2026
Political Action Committee
Active; sole purpose is electing Theo Ellington

Independent expenditure committee created weeks before Larsen's donation to back Ellington.
GR
GrowSF
Political Action Committee
Endorsed Ellington; active in multiple supervisor races

Moderate San Francisco PAC backing pro-housing, pro-business candidates.
San Francisco Ethics Commission
San Francisco Ethics Commission
City Agency
Voted 4-0 in August to recommend closing the candidate-controlled committee loophole; proposal awaits Board of Supervisors approval

City agency that regulates and discloses campaign spending in San Francisco elections.
Clean Up City Hall
Clean Up City Hall
Ballot Measure Committee
Supports Mayor Lurie's charter reform measures

Committee backing Lurie's measures to modernize contracting and consolidate mayoral power.

Timeline

June 2026 November 2026

7 events Latest: September 4th, 2026 · 1 week ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Election Day in District 10

    Upcoming Election

    District 10 voters choose Shamann Walton's successor on the Board of Supervisors.

  2. Opponents attack the donation

    Latest Statement

    Brookter and Eppler call the check proof of billionaire influence in a working-class district.

  3. Larsen drops $500K on Ellington PAC

    Campaign Finance

    Donation is among the largest ever to a group backing one San Francisco candidate.

  4. Ellington PAC founded

    Campaign Finance

    Independent committee 'From the Neighborhood, for the City' formed to back Ellington.

  5. SF Ethics Commission votes 4-0 to recommend closing campaign finance loophole

    Regulatory

    Commissioners voted unanimously in August to propose applying the city's $500 contribution cap to candidate-controlled committees. The Board of Supervisors must approve the proposal.

  6. Moritz gives $250K to GrowSF PAC

    Campaign Finance

    Michael Moritz gives $250K to a GrowSF PAC backing Alan Wong's District 4 bid.

  7. June primary tests Lurie-aligned candidates

    Election

    Larsen funds independent groups backing the mayor's allies in the June election.

Scenarios

1

Ellington wins D10, giving Lurie's bloc a new seat

Likely Resolves by Nov 3, 2026

Discussed by: San Francisco political observers cited by The Standard and Mission Local

Ellington's campaign holds a cash lead of roughly $300,000 over his nearest rival, and GrowSF's endorsement gives him organizational backing. If that holds through November, he joins the Board as a reliable vote for Lurie's housing and public-safety agenda. District 10, a historically Black and working-class area, would send a moderate to a board where moderates are already gaining ground.

2

SF closes unlimited PAC donation loophole

Possible Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: Mission Local reporting on ethics officials; former Supervisor Aaron Peskin

Record donations in back-to-back supervisor races push the Ethics Commission and Board of Supervisors to act. A measure capping or banning unlimited contributions to independent committees backing a single candidate goes to voters or passes as an ordinance before the next election cycle. The reform would change how every future supervisor race is funded, not just this one.

3

Ellington loses despite record fundraising

Possible Resolves by Nov 3, 2026

Discussed by: Opponents DJ Brookter and JR Eppler, who frame the race as a referendum on billionaire money

Brookter argues the district should 'answer to the neighborhood, not to the donors.' A low-turnout, working-class district could swing on resentment of outside money. If Eppler or Brookter wins, the result signals limits to billionaire influence in local races and keeps a progressive voice opposing Lurie's agenda on the board.

4

Board of Supervisors approves Ethics Commission rules

Possible Resolves by End of 2026

Discussed by: Mission Local reporting on the Ethics Commission's August vote

The Ethics Commission's 4-0 recommendation goes to the full Board of Supervisors, which must approve it for the rules to take effect. Approval would apply the $500 cap to candidate-controlled committees, closing the channel Larsen used to give Supervisor Matt Dorsey $25,000. It would not cap donations to independent PACs like the one backing Ellington.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

January 2010

Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that corporations and unions may spend unlimited money on independent political advertisements. The decision struck down the federal ban on corporate electioneering and opened the door to super PACs funded by unlimited individual donations.

Then

Super PACs appeared within weeks and reshaped the 2010 midterms as outside groups outspent party committees in key races.

Now

Independent expenditures became the dominant channel for political money; federal limits apply only to direct contributions, leaving the same loophole San Francisco still uses.

Why this matters now

The same legal structure allows Larsen's $500,000 check. Money routed through an independent committee faces no cap, so candidates stay formally independent while a billionaire funds their path to office.

June 2022

Chesa Boudin recall (2022)

San Francisco voters recalled progressive District Attorney Chesa Boudin after a well-funded campaign backed by moderates and tech-aligned donors. Outside spending dwarfed what a district attorney race typically saw, channeling public frustration over crime into Boudin's removal.

Then

Boudin was replaced by Brooke Jenkins, a former prosecutor who took a tougher approach on enforcement.

Now

The recall taught Bay Area billionaires and moderates that outside money could topple progressive city officials, normalizing heavy spending in San Francisco local races.

Why this matters now

It is the closest precedent for what Larsen is doing now: using independent spending to shift San Francisco's balance of power toward moderates.

November 2024

Daniel Lurie's self-funded mayoral win (2024)

Daniel Lurie, a Levi Strauss heir, spent millions of his personal fortune on his successful 2024 campaign for San Francisco mayor. His win installed a pro-business moderate at City Hall.

Then

Lurie took office promising to crack down on crime, speed housing, and restructure city government.

Now

His administration drew a new wave of tech-aligned appointees and donors into city politics, making races like District 10 an extension of a broader moderate realignment.

Why this matters now

Larsen is a leading Lurie backer; the Ellington donation continues the same project of building a durable moderate majority on the Board of Supervisors.

Sources

(5)
+1
San Francisco Standard SFist Mission Local Hoodline San Francisco Standard