7 A Potential New Chapter of Politics is Coming in San Francisco by David Harrison, BOMA SF Manager of Government and Public Affairs
There is an undeniable shift underway in today’s San Francisco political landscape, with voter resentment solidifying into a 67% disapproval rating for the Board of Supervisors. Three school board members were overwhelmingly recalled earlier this year, and San Francisco’s District Attorney was recalled in June. The staunchly ideological and progressive David Campos was thoroughly defeated by a rebranded Matt Haney, signifying a win for San Francisco’s more moderate political wing in the eyes of local pundits. Do all these electoral outcomes point to impending doom for the progressive wing of politics that has come to dominate San Francisco over the last several years? Well, maybe. But politics is hardly ever so neat. It does seem irrefutable, however, that San Franciscans have grown tired of the status quo. Among those of us who operate adjacent to City Hall, you’ll hear a common refrain. It’s hard to even have substantive policy conversations these days because the minute there’s a disagreement, you start to hear criticisms about evil corporatism or a lack of compassion. This is exactly where I think we are going to see a shift. Voters are clearly growing tired of self-righteousness. They just want someone who can break through the noise and get the job done. Take Haney’s election to the Assembly, for example. Is Matt Haney suddenly a staunch political moderate? That doesn’t seem to be the case. But he did distance himself from the recycled progressive playbook of vilifying business interests and grandstanding on the all-or-nothing 100% affordable housing or bust debate. It would behoove the other elected officials in San Francisco to read the tea leaves here and follow suit. The philosophical debates and dogmatic politics can wait. San Franciscans want results. Can you blame them? For the most expensive city in the country — which also happens to have access to the world’s brightest minds and newest technologies—shouldn’t we be getting a little more bang for our buck? This is exactly the approach we’re advocating in our government affairs work here at BOMA. On every
issue, from COVID-19 lease debt, to decarbonizing our buildings, to public safety, we’re putting the philosophical differences aside and trying to build consensus on good policy. Winning with this message at the ballot box is, of course, easier said than done. Pragmatic moderates have almost certainly found their pathway forward for citywide races and higher state office. The real test will be whether this new approach can break through at the district level. The recently redrawn supervisorial districts may help with that, as the extreme growth on the City’s east side has led to a map with some districts looking radically different. This fall, Districts 4 and 6 look particularly winnable for more moderate and pragmatic candidates. BOMA will be watching closely, and we look forward to supporting candidates that will once again recognize the important impact of the commercial real estate industry in San Francisco. To learn more about BOMA’s government and public affairs activities, visit the BOMA website for committee meeting announcements or email David Harrison at davidh@boma.com.
It’s more critical now than ever that we defend the commercial real estate industry from bad policy. BOMA educates elected officials about our business and why a healthy commercial property industry is vital to our city and our state’s tax base. We work to elect the right candidates to public office and stand against ballot measures that increase the cost of doing business.
Please consider supporting BOMA-SF-PAC to defend your assets at the ballot box! Visit www.bomasf.org/boma-sf-pac
