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San Francisco voters keep Great Highway car-free and expand mayor's power

San Francisco voters keep Great Highway car-free and expand mayor's power

Rule Changes San Francisco, CA local

Scott Wiener leads the race for Nancy Pelosi's congressional seat as ballot counting continues.

Yesterday: Updated count: Proposition G fails; Wiener leads 55.4% to 44.6%

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

San Francisco voters rejected Proposition G, keeping a two-mile stretch of the Great Highway closed to cars and preserving Sunset Dunes Park. The measure would have reopened the road on weekdays, reversing a 2024 vote that made the coastal route car-free.

The same election gave Mayor Daniel Lurie a win on four ballot measures that reorganize city commissions and expand mayoral authority. State Senator Scott Wiener also held a 55.4% to 44.6% lead over Supervisor Connie Chan for the congressional seat Nancy Pelosi is leaving.

Why it matters

The results lock in a car-free coastal park and give Mayor Lurie more control over city government while sending Scott Wiener to Congress.

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Key Indicators

63%
Share voting No on Proposition G
With about 174,000 ballots counted, 109,000 opposed reopening the Great Highway.
55.4%
Scott Wiener's share in California's 11th District
Preliminary count showed him ahead of Connie Chan by about 17,000 votes.
70.6%
Support for Measure A
Measure A reorganizes commissions and advisory bodies, a Lurie-backed change.
34.6%
Ballots counted so far
About 185,000 ballots tallied, with more expected.

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People Involved

Scott Wiener
Scott Wiener
California state senator and candidate for U.S. Congress
Leading in preliminary count; opponent conceded
 Daniel Lurie
Daniel Lurie
Mayor of San Francisco
Won support for four ballot measures
 Connie Chan
Connie Chan
San Francisco supervisor and congressional candidate
Conceded District 11 race to Scott Wiener
 Alan Wong
Alan Wong
San Francisco supervisor for District 4
Supported a compromise on the Great Highway; Proposition G failed
LL
Lucas Lux
Chair of Friends of Sunset Dunes
Celebrated Proposition G's defeat

Organizations Involved

Friends of Sunset Dunes
Friends of Sunset Dunes
Advocacy group
Opposed Proposition G; supports Sunset Dunes Park

A group that supports the car-free park on the former Great Highway.
San Francisco Department of Elections
San Francisco Department of Elections
Local government agency
Counting ballots from the November 2026 election

The city agency that runs San Francisco elections and counts ballots.

Timeline

November 2024 November 2026

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

  1. Updated count: Proposition G fails; Wiener leads 55.4% to 44.6%

    Latest Election

    About 185,000 ballots were counted, with more expected in the days ahead.

  2. Connie Chan concedes District 11 race to Scott Wiener

    Concession

    Chan conceded after preliminary results showed Wiener ahead by about 17,000 votes.

  3. Election Day: Proposition G fails and Wiener leads

    Election

    Early returns showed Proposition G behind and Scott Wiener ahead in the congressional race.

  4. Wong fails to get Great Highway measure on June ballot

    Campaign

    Supervisor Alan Wong did not meet the required threshold of signatures from colleagues.

  5. Voters pass Proposition K, closing Great Highway to cars

    Ballot measure

    San Francisco voters approved a permanent car-free stretch of the Great Highway, creating Sunset Dunes Park.

Scenarios

1

Scott Wiener wins California's 11th Congressional District

Likely Resolves by Dec 1, 2026

Discussed by: Mission Local, ABC7 News

Preliminary results show Wiener ahead by about 17,000 votes, and Connie Chan has conceded. The remaining ballots are unlikely to close that gap. The race will be certified by the California Secretary of State.

2

Proposition G fails final count, keeping Sunset Dunes car-free

Likely Resolves by Dec 1, 2026

Discussed by: SFist, KQED, Mission Local

About 63% of counted ballots opposed Proposition G. The measure would have reopened the Great Highway to cars on weekdays. Final results will be certified by the San Francisco Department of Elections.

3

Mayor Lurie's ballot measures take effect

Likely Resolves by Jan 15, 2027

Discussed by: Mission Local, SFist

Measures A, D, E, and F were leading with wide margins. They reorganize commissions, change contracting rules, and expand mayoral authority. The Board of Supervisors must certify the results before they take effect.

Historical Context

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

November 2024

San Francisco Proposition K (2024)

San Francisco voters approved Proposition K, permanently closing a two-mile stretch of the Great Highway to cars and creating Sunset Dunes Park. The vote was citywide, but residents nearest the road mostly opposed it.

Then

The road became a park, and the city began adding amenities like art sculptures and a skate park.

Now

The closure became a central issue in west-side politics, leading to Proposition G in 2026.

Why this matters now

Proposition G was a direct attempt to reverse Proposition K. Its defeat means the 2024 decision stands.

2020

Pandemic-era Great Highway closure (2020)

During the COVID-19 pandemic, San Francisco closed part of the Great Highway to cars to create space for recreation. The city later adopted a compromise that kept the road open on weekdays and closed it on weekends.

Then

The closure gave residents a car-free space along Ocean Beach.

Now

The compromise set the stage for the 2024 vote to make the closure permanent.

Why this matters now

Proposition G would have returned to the weekday-open, weekend-closed model. Voters rejected that approach.

Sources

(4)
SFist ABC7 News KQED Mission Local