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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 congressional race; Lurie-backed charter measures lead

Yesterday: Connie Chan concedes congressional race

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

Supervisor Connie Chan conceded her congressional bid on Wednesday, Nov. 4, after returns showed her trailing state Sen. Scott Wiener by about 11 points. The same election produced Democratic gains nationally, including wins by progressive candidates in Michigan, Minnesota and New York.

The split result points to a local mechanism: San Francisco’s electorate has become more affluent, and moderate-backed candidates and committees spent heavily on quality-of-life and governance changes. Proposition D, which would quadruple signature requirements for voter initiatives, led with 57.54% as of Wednesday, while a Democratic Socialists of America-backed housing measure trailed.

Why it matters

If the charter measures hold, San Francisco’s mayor and city administrator gain more control over contracts, departments and the ballot process.

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Key Indicators

44.54%
Connie Chan vote share
Wednesday count in the congressional race against Scott Wiener.
55.55%
Scott Wiener vote share
Wednesday count in the race to succeed Nancy Pelosi.
$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 Wednesday support for quadrupling signature requirements for voter initiatives.

Voices

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People Involved

Connie Chan
Connie Chan
San Francisco supervisor and congressional candidate
Conceded congressional race; remains supervisor
 Scott Wiener
Scott Wiener
California state senator and congressman-elect
Won congressional race
 Daniel Lurie
Daniel Lurie
Mayor of San Francisco
Claimed mandate after charter measures led
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

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

Timeline

October 2026 November 2026

4 events Latest: Yesterday
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Connie Chan concedes congressional race

    Latest Election

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

  2. Lurie-backed charter amendments lead; Proposition I trails

    Ballot measures

    Propositions D, E and F held commanding leads; the DSA-backed housing measure lagged.

  3. Election Day returns show Wiener and Lurie measures leading

    Election

    National Democrats won Congress; San Francisco moderates led local races and ballot measures.

  4. 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, was too close to call Wednesday. If late mail ballots break toward yes, 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 was trailing Wednesday, 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

Propositions A, D, E and F would restructure departments, expand the city administrator’s contracting authority, restore deputy mayors and raise signature requirements for initiatives. If certified, they would shift authority toward the mayor and city administrator.

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

(3)
The San Francisco Standard San Francisco Public Press 48 Hills