Fighting for San Francisco- Breed’s fundraising amount is lower than Luo Wei’s, but the number of donors is the highest
As the election date approaches, the San Francisco mayoral race is heating up, with candidates and their supporters ramping up campaign spending across various areas, including consultants, advertising, and staffing. To gain insight into how much candidates have invested in the election, who has received the most donations, and who their donors are, the San Francisco Chronicle conducted an analysis of donation data for the main candidates.
Billionaire Mimi Haas made headlines by donating $1 million to support her son, Daniel Lurie, through a political action committee last December. This donation was not only the largest contribution received during this election cycle but also the biggest single donation in 25 years for a San Francisco mayoral race. Coupled with Lurie’s personal investment of nearly $9 million, his campaign has raised over $15 million, enabling him to execute extensive advertising and outreach to potential voters.
While current Mayor London Breed has raised less money overall than Lurie, she boasts the highest number of individual donors. Research from the Federal Election Commission indicates that the candidate who spends the most does not always secure victory, and sitting officials may not benefit more from campaign expenditures than challengers do.
One of Breed’s advantages is that she has had more time than her opponents to prepare for the election. The Chronicle pointed out that she began her re-election efforts early, with her first donation secured in 2021. Additionally, San Francisco approved a measure that shifted mayoral elections to even-numbered years, effectively extending Breed’s tenure by an additional year and giving her more time to win support.
According to the Chronicle, the largest donor in this year’s mayoral election is the city of San Francisco itself. Under a financial plan approved by voters in 2000, eligible San Francisco city council and mayoral candidates can access city funds based on the amount they raise for their own political committees, with mayoral candidates eligible for up to about $1.2 million, provided they adhere to spending limits. Reports suggest that, aside from Lurie, all other mayoral candidates have applied for these funds.
Analysis shows that significant donations this election cycle typically come from affluent individuals, including tech executives, venture capitalists, and wealthy philanthropists. Lurie himself made the largest single contribution at $8.4 million. In comparison, Breed’s largest donation came from former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who contributed $1.2 million, the second-highest donation of the election.
Furthermore, the statistics reveal that most donors in this mayoral race reside in California, with over half living in San Francisco. The area with the most contributors is near Presidio, encompassing parts of the Richmond District and Lower Pacific Heights, specifically zip codes 94118 and 94115, where Lurie has drawn significant support from local voters.
