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San Francisco progressives lose local races as national Democrats surge

San Francisco progressives lose local races as national Democrats surge

Rule Changes San Francisco, CA local

Connie Chan concedes; Lurie's charter measures win as public bank measure moves ahead

4 days ago: Bay Area voters rally in San Francisco after Democratic wins

Overview

Updated 3 days ago

The Associated Press called the congressional race for state Sen. Scott Wiener on Nov. 6. Wiener had 54.6% to Supervisor Connie Chan’s 45.4%; Chan conceded on Nov. 4. Democrats won seats nationwide, but San Francisco moderates kept their grip on City Hall.

Mayor Daniel Lurie’s three charter amendments passed. A public bank measure backed by the Democratic Socialists of America led with 51.16% as of Nov. 5, while a DSA-backed affordable-housing measure trailed by 10 points. The elections office said about 37,600 ballots remained to be counted on Nov. 6.

Why it matters

Lurie's charter wins give him more control over city contracts and departments, and fewer checks from the Board of Supervisors.

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Key Indicators

45.4%
Connie Chan vote share
Count when The Associated Press called the race for Scott Wiener.
54.6%
Scott Wiener vote share
Count when The Associated Press called the race.
$13.8M
Lurie-backed campaign committee
Reported support for the Clean Up City Hall campaign behind the charter amendments.
57.54%
Proposition D yes vote
Preliminary support for making it harder to place initiatives on the ballot.
51.16%
Proposition B yes vote
Thursday count for the public bank measure, a lead of about 5,500 votes.

Voices

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People Involved

Connie Chan
Connie Chan
San Francisco supervisor and congressional candidate
Conceded congressional race on Nov. 4; remains supervisor.
 Scott Wiener
Scott Wiener
California state senator and congressman-elect
Congressman-elect; The Associated Press called the race on Nov. 6.
 Daniel Lurie
Daniel Lurie
Mayor of San Francisco
Won expanded authority after voters approved Propositions D, E and F; the Board of Supervisors shifted toward his allies.
GM
Gary McCoy
Supervisor-elect, District 8
Won District 8 supervisor race

Organizations Involved

Clean Up City Hall
Clean Up City Hall
Ballot Measure Committee
Backed Lurie’s charter amendments

The committee backed Mayor Daniel Lurie’s charter amendments to expand mayoral and city administrator authority.
GrowSF
GrowSF
Political action committee
Backed winning school board and local candidates

A moderate San Francisco advocacy group that endorsed school board candidates and backed local races in 2026.
HM
Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club
Progressive Democratic club
Called for movement reassessment

A progressive Democratic club whose leaders called the 2026 results a wake-up call.
SF
San Francisco Democratic Socialists of America
Political organization
Backed Proposition I and Proposition B; Proposition B moved ahead Thursday.

The local Democratic Socialists of America chapter backed a public bank measure and an affordable-housing set-aside.

Timeline

October 2026 November 2026

10 events Latest: 4 days ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Bay Area voters rally in San Francisco after Democratic wins

    Latest Politics

    Organized by the Can't Stop California campaign, the rally celebrated Democratic gains. Supervisor Connie Chan told the crowd to hold elected officials accountable.

  2. Associated Press calls congressional race for Wiener

    Election

    The AP called the race with Wiener at 54.6% to Chan's 45.4%. Chan had conceded on Nov. 4.

  3. Elections office reports about 37,600 ballots left to count

    Election

    The Department of Elections said about 27,600 vote-by-mail and 10,000 provisional ballots remained after its seventh preliminary results report.

  4. Proposition B moves ahead in latest count

    Ballot measures

    The public bank measure had 51.16% support to 48.84% opposition, a lead of about 5,500 votes, in the Thursday afternoon update.

  5. Connie Chan concedes congressional race

    Election

    She trailed Scott Wiener by about 11 points in Wednesday’s count.

  6. Lurie-backed charter amendments win; Proposition I trails

    Ballot measures

    Propositions D, E and F passed; the Democratic Socialists of America-backed housing measure lagged.

  7. Phil Kim declared winner of school board seat

    Election

    Kim was one of three school board candidates endorsed by the moderate group GrowSF. Two other seats had not been called as of Wednesday evening.

  8. Election Day returns show Wiener and Lurie measures leading

    Election

    Democratic candidates posted gains nationwide; San Francisco moderates led local races and ballot measures.

  9. Theo Ellington elected in District 10

    Election

    The moderate supervisor-elect will replace progressive Shamann Walton, giving Mayor Daniel Lurie a likely ally on the board.

  10. Manny Yekutiel drops out of District 8 race

    Campaign

    His exit left progressive Gary McCoy facing a less costly path.

Scenarios

1

Public bank measure passes after late count

Possible Resolves by Dec 1, 2026

Discussed by: San Francisco Public Press and 48 Hills election coverage

Proposition B, a DSA-backed measure to authorize a city public bank, moved ahead Thursday with 51.16% support. If the lead holds, it would give progressives a narrow win and authorize a new municipal finance institution.

2

Affordable-housing set-aside fails

Likely Resolves by Dec 1, 2026

Discussed by: San Francisco Public Press and The San Francisco Standard

Proposition I would require that a portion of transfer tax revenue be spent on affordable housing. It trailed by 10 points, and its defeat would mark another progressive fiscal loss in a city where moderates have gained ground.

3

Lurie charter amendments take effect and expand mayoral control

Likely Resolves by Jan 31, 2027

Discussed by: San Francisco Public Press and The San Francisco Standard

Voters approved Propositions D, E and F. They restructure departments, expand the city administrator’s contracting authority and raise signature requirements for initiatives.

Historical Context

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

November 2018

2018 U.S. midterm elections

Democrats won control of the House, and progressive candidates such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez won primaries in safe Democratic districts. Moderate Democrats flipped suburban seats that had been Republican.

Then

The party gained subpoena power and a larger progressive caucus.

Now

The two wings fought over health care and climate policy through the 2020 presidential primary.

Why this matters now

The same pattern appeared in 2026: a national Democratic wave did not translate into local progressive wins in San Francisco.

November 2024

Daniel Lurie’s San Francisco mayoral win (2024)

Lurie, a Levi Strauss heir, defeated incumbent Mayor London Breed after campaigning on homelessness, public safety and accountability.

Then

He took office with a moderate coalition.

Now

That coalition backed the 2026 charter amendments.

Why this matters now

The local moderate turn predates the 2026 national wave, which helps explain why San Francisco ran against the national current.

2025

Zohran Mamdani’s New York mayoral win (2025)

Mamdani, a democratic socialist, won the New York mayoralty with a campaign focused on rents, taxes and transit.

Then

He became a national symbol of urban progressive success.

Now

His win encouraged progressive candidates to emphasize affordability and class politics.

Why this matters now

San Francisco progressives tried a similar message, but the local electorate and spending environment differed.

Sources

(13)
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The San Francisco Standard San Francisco Public Press 48 Hills San Francisco Examiner Axios San Francisco Mission Local KQED SF.gov San Francisco Chronicle Axios San Francisco The San Francisco Standard Axios San Francisco The San Francisco Standard