SAN FRANCISCO—Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie promised a “world class administration that reflects the passion and the diversity of San Francisco,” in a Nov. 8 rally at St. Mary’s Square claiming his victory.
“I stand before you humbled and inspired with the great honor and privilege of serving you, the people of San Francisco, as your next mayor,” Lurie said, with his wife, Becca, by his side, and hundreds of supporters behind.
Outgoing Mayor London Breed called and congratulated Lurie on Nov. 7, and discussed the transition, according to both.
Lurie is the founder of the nonprofit Tipping Point Community, and also an heir to the Levi Strauss & Co. fortune.
“I entered this race, not as a politician, but as a dad who couldn’t explain to my kids what they were seeing on our streets,” Lurie said at the rally. “In our house, when you love something as much as we love San Francisco, you fight for it.”
“Turning around this city will not happen overnight,” Lurie said. “We have extremely difficult challenges ahead, and far more opportunities and advantages, and our advantages are far more powerful.”
The new administration will be centered on “accountability, service, and change,” according to Lurie, and the aggressive search for candidates who “want to come turn around a great American city” has already begun.
“The people I hire and appoint will not be in service to me. They will be in service to all of you,” Lurie said. “They will be in service to you and your desire to have a city hall that works, that listens to you, even when you don’t agree.”
When asked if he will fire Police Chief Bill Scott, Lurie said he will be sitting down one-on-one with major city department heads in the coming weeks.
“I will get a sense if they’re committed, but I plan to have those conversations,” Lurie said.
Lurie’s commitments for voters include clean and safe streets for all, tackling a drug and behavioral health crisis, shaking up the bureaucracy, building enough housing so outsiders can afford to live here, supporting small businesses, and bringing life back into downtown.
“My No. 1 priority is public safety for the citizens and the residents and the taxpayers,” Lurie said. “That will be my focus in the mission and in every corner of this city.”
“We must turn the page on the politics of demonizing each other on every issue. In the realities of everyday life, people don’t see themselves as progressives or moderates or conservatives, we see ourselves as San Franciscans.”
He said he will declare a fentanyl state of emergency on day one of his administration, and will work with state, federal, and local law enforcement to demolish the open-air drug markets.
The San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association, the sole law enforcement union that endorsed Lurie, expressed optimism about working with the incoming mayor.
“We are eager to partner with Mayor-elect Lurie to create real solutions that prioritize public safety and improve the quality of life for every resident in San Francisco,” said Ken Lomba, president of the San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association, in a Nov. 8 press release.
When it comes to the new city administration, Sharky Laguana, who serves on the Homelessness Oversight Commission, told The Epoch Times, “It’s not about what I’m expecting, it’s about what I can do.”
“We’ve obviously got to get our downtown economy cooking again. We have work to do on homelessness,” said Laguana, who is also CEO of passenger van rental company Bandago. “Clearly there’s more work to be done around crime and retail theft and car break-ins.”
Lurie also said during the speech that he shared the concerns regarding President-elect Donald Trump’s winning a second term in the White House.
“Under my watch, San Francisco will stand up for the rights of all of our neighbors,” Lurie said, adding that while he has “serious disagreements with President Donald Trump, ... I will never let those disagreements get in the way of addressing the problems facing San Francisco.”
District 7 Supervisor Myrna Melgar expressed concerns about how the mayor-elect would handle the federal government’s policies after Trump takes over.
“I am feeling a little bit overwhelmed by the thought of a Trump administration that is hostile to San Francisco and a mayor who’s new and a little bit inexperienced,” Melgar told The Epoch Times. “But I will promise to help in any way that I can, with my knowledge, with my resources, so that we can all pull together and solve our issues in San Francisco, because that’s what we need.”
Officials in some Democratic states—including California, New York, Illinois, Washington, and New Jersey—said they have plans to counter Trump’s incoming policies related to immigration, abortion, and environmental regulations.
“California has faced this challenge before, and we know how to respond. We are prepared, and we will do everything necessary to ensure Californians have the support and resources they need to thrive,” Newsom said in the statement on Nov. 7.
In response to the announcements, the president-elect’s team said he is focused on serving the interests of Americans across the country.
