2007 San Francisco mayoral election
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The San Francisco mayoral election of 2007 occurred on November 6, 2007. Voters elected a Mayor of San Francisco and several local officials. Incumbent Mayor Gavin Newsom was re-elected by a good margin. There were 12 candidates on the ballot as well as 6 write-ins.
Besides Newsom, other notable candidates included Josh Wolf, an amateur journalist who was jailed for not turning over tapes of a protest to the authorities. Another candidate, "Chicken" John Rinaldi, qualified for public financing of his campaign but ran into procedural difficulties with San Francisco's Election Commission.
It was the first mayoral election in San Francisco history to use instant-runoff voting, also known as ranked-choice voting, so that there would be no need for a run-off. Results of the election weren't known for weeks because every ballot had to be hand-counted due to the long feud between the Elections Department of San Francisco and the California Secretary of State.[1]
Background
Municipal elections in California are officially non-partisan, though most candidates in San Francisco do receive funding and support from various political parties.
In 2003, then-Supervisor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, ran in a large field of challengers, including Board of Supervisors President Matt Gonzalez, Supervisor Tom Ammiano, former Supervisor Angela Alioto, city Treasurer Susan Leal, and former Police Chief Tony Ribera. Newsom and Gonzalez took first and second place, respectively, but neither won a majority, so the two advanced to a runoff election.
Newsom ran as a moderate against leftist/progressive Gonzalez, a member of the Green Party. The election was close, with Gonzalez leeading in the polls and winning the popular vote among ballots cast on election day, while Newsom had a larger lead on absentee ballots.
| Candidates | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gavin Newsom | 133,546 | 52.81 | |
| Matt Gonzalez | 119,329 | 47.19 | |
| Total | 252,875 | 100 | |
Newsom's approval rating has remained high throughout his first term; his action in support of same-sex marriage played a key role in garnering wide approval from the largely liberal city.
Issues
Many ongoing and emerging issues might influence this election. They include:
- Potholes, infrastructure, deferred maintenance, and the mayor's plans to improve Muni.
- Keeping the San Francisco 49ers football team within city limits, as the team has threatened to move to a more spacious suburban stadium in Santa Clara County. The move would create a situation similar to that of the New York Jets and New York Giants, who both play at the New Jersey Meadowlands.
- The city's high homicide rate might also hurt Newsom during the campaign. A national survey gives San Francisco low marks for public safety.[2] Indeed, San Francisco ranked well below both Los Angeles and New York City.
- Homelessness and transportation issues from previous years remain relevant. Public perception of the mayor's "Care, Not Cash" program (which reduces welfare payments in favor of long-term subsidized housing) will likely inform the debate.
- On February 1, 2007, Newsom admitted to having an affair with his campaign manager's wife, who was working in City Hall. Newsom later apologized about the scandal.[3]
Results
The official results are as follows:[4]
| Parties | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gavin Newsom (Democratic Party) | 105,596 | 73.66 | |
| Quintin Mecke (Democratic Party) | 9,076 | 6.33 | |
| Harold M. Hoogasian (Republican Party) | 8,400 | 5.86 | |
| Wilma Pang (Peace and Freedom Party) | 7,274 | 5.07 | |
| Ahimsa Porter Sumchai (Independent) | 3,398 | 2.37 | |
| "Chicken" John Rinaldi (Green Party) | 2,508 | 1.75 | |
| Lonnie S. Holmes (United States Marijuana Party) | 1,807 | 1.26 | |
| Josh Wolf (Socialist Party) | 1,772 | 1.24 | |
| Grasshopper Alec Kaplan (Workers World Party) | 1,423 | .99 | |
| Harold Brown (Independent) | 915 | .64 | |
| George Davis (Libertarian Party) | 644 | .45 | |
| Michael Powers (American Independent Party) | 519 | .36 | |
| Lea Sherman (Write-in candidate) | 9 | .01 | |
| Rodney Hauge (Write-in candidate) | 6 | .00 | |
| Patrick Monette-Shaw (Write-in candidate) | 6 | .00 | |
| Kenneth Kahn (Write-in candidate) | 3 | .00 | |
| Robert Kully (Write-in candidate) | 2 | .00 | |
| Robert McCullough (Write-in candidate) | 1 | .00 | |
| Total | 143,359 | 100% | |
References
- ^ Counting S.F. ballots will take a record amount of time, The San Francisco Chronicle, November 7, 2007
- ^ The Most, Least Dangerous U.S. Cities, Associated Press, October 30, 2006
- ^ Newsom apologizes at press conference, The San Francisco Chronicle, February 1, 2007
- ^ Department of Elections: Election Summary, 2007 Municipal Election
External Links
- Act Locally SF; Official Campaign Website for Gavin Newsom
- Race for Mayor 2007
- San Francisco Examiner's "San Francisco's Next Mayor?" Page
- Cast of characters livens up the field