Will Voters in San Francisco Go for a Different Kind of Mayor?

Politics|Will Voters in San Francisco Go for a Different Kind of Mayor?AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTYou have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load.WILL VOTERS IN SAN FRANCISCO GO FOR A DIFFERENT KIND OF MAYOR? Mark Farrell, a venture capitalist who led the city for six months in 2018, wants his old job back. His chances hinge on how far the liberal city has moved toward the center.Mark Farrell, a venture capitalist who served as interim mayor for six months in 2018, plans to announce his candidacy for this year’s mayoral race on Tuesday. Credit…Jim Wilson/The New York TimesFeb. 13, 2024Updated 2:56 p.m. ETFamously liberal San Francisco is irritable these days.Poll after poll shows its residents aren’t confident in the future of their city and don’t support their leader, Mayor London Breed. They lament that their downtown isn’t coming back after the pandemic as quickly as other cities’ cores, that drug overdose numbers continue to skyrocket and that property crime remains a stubborn problem.But what’s not so clear is what kind of mayor they want to fix what’s broken.Mark Farrell, a venture capitalist who served as interim mayor for six months in 2018, believes he has the answer: a firm style of governance that would “massively” increase police ranks, clear all homeless encampments, detain drug overdose victims who survive and return cars to the city’s

main thoroughfare.He’ll test his platform — which he calls common sense and his detractors will surely label too conservative for San Francisco — on the November ballot. Mr. Farrell, the city’s 44th mayor, announced on Tuesday that he wants to be its 46th one, too.“I’ve watched San Francisco crumble over the last five years,” Mr. Farrell, 49, said recently over coffee at a downtown cafe. “Public safety has never been a bigger concern. The conditions of our streets have never been worse. Our local economy has collapsed. And we’ve become the butt of jokes across the country.“This mayor has completely failed us.”ImageMayor London Breed of San Francisco has moved toward the center in a city worried about crime and the economy. Credit…Jim Wilson/The New York TimesMaggie Muir, a political consultant for Ms. Breed, accused Mr. Farrell of spending the pandemic years at his venture capital firm instead of helping the city get back on its feet.——————————————————————————–Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit andlog intoyour Times account, orsubscribefor all of The Times.——————————————————————————–Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber?Log in.Want all of The Times?Subscribe.AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTThe post Will Voters in San Francisco Go for a Different Kind of Mayor? first appeared on Hecho en California con Marcos Gutierrez.