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Lurie's San Francisco charter measures lead in early results

Lurie's San Francisco charter measures lead in early results

Rule Changes San Francisco, CA local

Three measures would expand mayoral power and raise signature thresholds for ballot initiatives.

Yesterday: Lurie charter measures lead in early returns

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

Early returns in San Francisco showed Mayor Daniel Lurie's three charter measures leading Tuesday night. Proposition D would make it harder to put measures on the ballot, while E and F would shift contracting and department-head authority toward the mayor.

The package drew nearly $14 million from Lurie's wealthy allies, against about $745,000 from labor and nonprofit opponents. If the leads hold, the Board of Supervisors and citizen-led initiatives lose leverage in City Hall.

Why it matters

If leads hold, San Francisco's mayor gains control over department heads and residents need four times as many signatures for ballot measures.

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Key Indicators

58%
Proposition D early vote share
Early returns; would raise the signature threshold from 2% to 8% of registered voters.
67%
Proposition E early vote share
Early returns; would let the city administrator reform contracting procedures.
63%
Proposition F early vote share
Early returns; would give the mayor sole power to hire and fire certain department heads.
71%
Proposition A early vote share
Separate measure; moves some boards and commissions from the charter to municipal code.
$14M
Pro-measure campaign funding
Backed by Lurie's wealthy allies, according to Mission Local.
$745K
Opposition funding
Labor groups and nonprofits raised this to fight Proposition D.

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People Involved

Daniel Lurie
Daniel Lurie
Mayor of San Francisco
His charter measures are leading in early returns.
 Michael Moritz
Michael Moritz
Venture capitalist and Lurie ally
Donor to the pro-Lurie charter campaign.
 Chris Larsen
Chris Larsen
Cryptocurrency billionaire and Lurie ally
Donor to the pro-Lurie charter campaign.

Organizations Involved

San Francisco Board of Supervisors
San Francisco Board of Supervisors
City legislative body
Would lose some oversight under the charter measures.

The Board of Supervisors is San Francisco's elected legislature.
Tipping Point Community
Tipping Point Community
Anti-poverty nonprofit
Lurie-founded group whose network backed the measures.

Tipping Point Community is an anti-poverty nonprofit founded by Mayor Daniel Lurie.

Timeline

1996 November 2026

3 events Latest: Yesterday

  1. Lurie charter measures lead in early returns

    Latest Election

    Props D, E and F lead; separate Prop A passes 71% to 29%.

  2. Centrist charter campaign tied to Mark Farrell fails

    Election

    Despite more than $9 million from billionaires, the mayoral-power package lost.

  3. San Francisco voters slim down century-old city charter

    Charter reform

    Voters approved a major revision that reduced the charter's scope.

Scenarios

1

All four charter measures pass

Likely Resolves by End of 2026

Discussed by: Mission Local election-night reporting

Early returns show Proposition D at 58%, E at 67%, F at 63%, and separate Proposition A at 71%. A simple majority passes each; late ballots would need to erase large margins to change the outcome.

2

Proposition D fails while E and F pass

Possible Resolves by End of 2026

Discussed by: Mission Local noted Prop. D had the narrowest lead

Prop. D's 58-42 margin is the smallest of the package. If late ballots break against it, the signature threshold stays at 2% while the mayor still gains contracting and hiring powers.

3

Late count flips one mayoral measure

Unlikely Resolves by End of 2026

Discussed by: Mission Local cautions results are early

The leads range from 16 to 34 points. Proposition D is closest, so late absentee or provisional ballots could theoretically flip it while E and F hold.

Historical Context

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

1996

San Francisco charter overhaul (1996)

San Francisco voters agreed to slim down their then-century-old charter. Mission Local calls the current package the biggest change to city governance since that vote.

Then

The charter remained the city's governing document.

Now

It set the baseline that later reformers have tried to adjust.

Why this matters now

The current measures would alter mayoral and board authority on a scale not seen since that 1996 revision.

2024

Failed centrist charter campaign (2024)

Centrists pushed charter changes to expand mayoral power. The campaign was tied to Mark Farrell, who was running for mayor, and failed despite more than $9 million from billionaires including Michael Moritz.

Then

Voters rejected the package.

Now

The loss showed that mayoral-power charter changes could fail when tied to a polarizing candidate.

Why this matters now

Lurie avoided that frame by centering himself as a popular incumbent, and his measures are now leading.

Sources

(1)
Mission Local