Daniel Lurie Sworn In As Mayor Of San Francisco

In a ceremony outside the San Francisco City Hall on Wednesday, Daniel Lurie was sworn in as the 46th Mayor of San Francisco, succeeding now former Mayor London Breed.

His swearing in comes on the heels of what was an underdog comeback in the Mayoral race last year. Both Breed and  former Mayor Mark Farrell had been neck to neck for most of the race. Even going into September, Lurie was still behind in third place. However, October brought on a late surge by Lurie. Pouring $8 million into his campaign, Lurie outspent the other candidates going into the final weeks of the race. Going big on issues like public safety and homelessness, he also went directly after both Breed and Farrell by going after the city budget and city spending. And with those two having been so focused on each other for most of the year so far, Lurie came out strong. In a poll in early October, Lurie managed to defeat Breed in the final vote in the ranked choice system, 53% to 47%. By late October it had grown to 56%-44%.

This led to the election in November, with Lurie leading in every round of ranked-choice voting and a final vote of Lurie beating Breed 55.3% to 44.7%, or 174,478 votes to 140,956 votes. In the weeks leading up Wednesday, Lurie continued to clarify what he wanted to do as Mayor, including continuing to fight poverty in the city and go after the city’s debt issues. He also made good on several campaign promises, such as agreeing to take a $1 salary instead of the $383,760 that Breed made. In addition, Lurie also brought in numerous advisors and his own picks for different city posts.

Since being confirmed the victory, Lurie has also reiterated his stances on public safety, drugs, and other issues in the city, and vowing for more crime reductions. This all led to Wednesday, when Laurie was inaugurated as the next Mayor of San Francisco. Lurie took the oath in front of numerous dignitaries, including Attorney General Rob Bonta, first partner of California Jennifer Siebel Newsom, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, and numerous former Mayors.

“I entered the Mayor’s race not as a politician, but as a dad who couldn’t explain to my kids what they were seeing on our streets. San Francisco has long been known for its values of tolerance and inclusion.

“Recovery IS possible, but it needs to be more than a possibility in San Francisco – it must be our mission. Together, we can ALL get better, do better, and return San Francisco to its rightful place as the greatest city in the world. San Francisco has long been known for its values of tolerance and inclusion. But nothing about those values instructs us to allow nearly 8,000 people to experience homelessness in our city. Widespread drug dealing, public drug use, and constantly seeing people in crisis has robbed us of our sense of decency and security.

“Safety isn’t just a statistic, it’s a feeling you hold when you’re walking down the street. That insecurity is harming families and businesses in the Tenderloin, South of Market, the Mission and beyond. I refuse to believe that this is who we are. You voted for accountability and change – a clear mandate that my administration will work to fulfill every single day. Lasting change doesn’t happen overnight – it takes time. But if we are consistent, if we have vision, if we aren’t afraid to make tough decisions – San Francisco WILL rise to new heights.

“NOW, with the largest budget deficit in the history of our city, we can no longer hide from our fiscal reality. We need to stop spending more than we can afford. We need to prioritize essential services and make the investments that are critical to getting San Francisco up and running again. And when we come out the other side – and we will – we must ensure that EVERY San Franciscan shares in our new prosperity. From this moment forward, there is a new structure in the Mayor’s office. One that allows for more accountability, and more opportunities for city departments to work together effectively to solve our most pressing problems.”

Lurie’s address

“Now is a time for action,” continued Lurie. “This is where our comeback begins. There are green-shoots everywhere – but my standard for success is sky-high. It is the greatest honor of my life to serve as your mayor at this critical moment in our history. I’m asking you to join me in reclaiming our place as the greatest city in the world – with a new era of accountability, service, and change. It’s time to roll up our sleeves and get to work, San Francisco.”

In addition, Lurie said that he would soon begin a fentanyl state of emergency and work closer with emergency services to help bring the city back on track.

Reaction to Lurie and his opening address was received positively by the majority of residents on Wednesday, with many seeing him as a breath of fresh air to Breed.

“Reaction to Lurie going in was very positive,” explained political advisor Sharon Lee to the Globe on Wednesday. “He hit all the right notes in his speech, gave some early day promises, and mentioned all the right people.

“His parts about fentanyl and public safety were very well received too, as many had not been liking what Breed was doing. Overall, Lurie seems to have a really good early days look about him. But, this is San Francisco, and there are a lot of issues. So that goodwill will tick down pretty quick. But for now, San Francisco seems to be behind him.”

Lurie is expected to begin issuing first orders soon.