Tech entrepreneur and “YIMBY” candidate Bilal Mahmood is poised to unseat District 5 supervisor Dean Preston, San Francisco’s only democratic socialist now serving on the board. In the most expensive district race, political opposition groups lavishly funded the effort to “Dump Dean.”
Though some 42,000 additional citywide votes are still uncounted, Preston on Sunday evening acknowledged his dwindling chances to mitigate his vote deficit and seemed to concede the race.
“I’ve spent a lifetime fighting for underdogs, often against the odds,” Preston said in a statement to Mission Local. “I wouldn’t change a minute of it. We can’t win every battle, but we’ll continue the fight.”
Though Preston has continued to gain on Mahmood in first-place votes, Mahmood has maintained a lead when ranked-choice selections are counted, putting him more than 1,300 votes ahead of Preston with 52.7 percent.
“I think it’s representative of a broad coalition campaign that we’ve built,” said Mahmood on Sunday, adding that he believes he will keep his lead over Preston. “And clearly it’s appealed to both progressives and moderates in the district.”
Mahmood’s healthy lead in a longtime progressive district may be the only successful effort this election to oust an incumbent progressive. But the makeup of the Board of Supervisors could still change substantially depending on the outcome of the vote in Districts 1 and 11.
Progressive Connie Chan (51.53 percent) in District 1 is presently nearly 1,000 votes ahead of Marjan Philhour (48.47 percent). District 11, held by termed out Supervisor Ahsha Safaí, is too close to call between the progressive Chyanne Chen (50.62 percent) and the moderate Michael Lai (49.38 percent), though Chen has caught and passed Lai in recent vote drops.
Moderate Danny Sauter appears poised to claim the termed-out Supervisor Aaron Peskin’s seat in District 3, while Jackie Fielder has claimed victory in District 9. District 7 Supervisor Myrna Melgar will likely keep her seat.
Preston has held his seat since 2019, beating Mayor London Breed’s handpicked successor Vallie Brown on two occasions. Clearly, defeating him would be a big win for the city’s more conservative forces.
Last updated on Nov. 10 at 4 p.m. Data from the San Francisco Department of Elections, chart by Kelly Waldron. *Incumbent.
Breed’s pick this year, Mahmood only moved to the district in 2023; he has had ethics issues, and was financially backed by big tech figures. Nonetheless, he apparently clicked with voters. His campaign emphasized the need to cut down bureaucracy and red tape to build housing faster, and to take a more aggressive approach to the fentanyl crisis.
In many parts of District 5, voters also leaned toward their former supervisor, Breed, for mayor over the more progressive candidate, Supervisor Aaron Peskin.
District 5 encompasses a wide slice of San Francisco, spanning the Tenderloin through Hayes Valley, the Fillmore and Japantown, to Haight-Ashbury. Following redistricting in 2022, the Tenderloin was grafted into the district, which lost Cole Valley and part of the Inner Sunset. On paper, that move would seem to favor Preston, but the results in this election tell a different story.
Mahmood said he believes “the electorate just wanted change.” He noted that he has accumulated most of the second- and third-place transfers from other newcomer candidates like Scotty Jacobs and Autumn Looijen, despite their differing policy stances.
The district has long been a progressive stronghold in the city, where Breed was seen by political analysts as an outlier moderate supervisor among otherwise much farther left-leaning leaders like Matt Gonzalez or Ross Mirkarimi.
This election’s results indicate a shift — Preston lost out on voters’ second- and third-place selections, as moderate challengers’ votes pooled together to oust him. Mahmood has blended progressive policies where he aligned closely with Preston, with more conservative ones, like expanding law enforcement.
The race for District 5 was also the most expensive supervisor contest this election cycle, with more than $1.5 million raised by the candidates including public financing. A GrowSF PAC specifically formed with the goal of removing Preston raised nearly $300,000, funded by figures like Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen ($50,000) and Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan ($50,000). Preston’s campaign, meanwhile, raised more than $600,000.
It was a tumultuous and nail-biting few days as the Elections Department slowly eked out results; an initial ballot drop on election night showed Mahmood and Preston neck in neck, a difference of fewer than 200 votes putting Mahmood one percent above Preston. Preston was not discouraged when he trailed in initial results, anticipating progressive votes to come in later.
“The initial drop is always the least progressive,” Preston said at the time, seeing he was only 200 votes behind and saying he wasn’t worried. “That’s a great first drop for us, and very encouraging.”
But that hasn’t been the case in District 5 — though the more progressive candidates locked in tight races have indeed flourished in late voting in Districts 1, 7 and 11.
While Preston has maintained a lead on Mahmood in first-place votes, subsequent ballot drops each day since Thursday only solidified Mahmood’s lead after ranked-choice tabulations: Preston is presently ahead by 279 first-place votes, but ranked choice vote accumulations from other candidates swamp him.
Thus far, 26,477 votes have been counted in the district.
Mahmood has said his priorities in office will be to build low-income, middle-income, and market rate housing, and reduce bureaucracy and red tape to do so more quickly. He also wants to use law enforcement and treatment in conjunction to address the fentanyl crisis and supports safe consumption sites and abstinence-based treatment.
Though Preston presented himself as a champion of tenant rights who has worked to get affordable housing built in the city, Mahmood attacked Preston throughout the campaign, accusing him of “blocking” certain housing projects because he pushed for increased affordability. Preston called these attacks “dishonest” and maintained that he had a lengthy track record of building housing across District 5.
Preston posted a statement on social media on Sunday evening to that end: “I’m proud to stand up to the disinformation fueled by some of the wealthiest in our country, and I will continue to push back against the right-wing pressure groups that backed my opponents and spent seemingly unlimited funds in our district and throughout the city.”
About the author
Accused Nima Momeni says ‘bad joke’ led to stabbing
Nearly a month into his trial for allegedly killing Cash App founder Bob Lee, Nima Momeni took the witness stand for the first time to describe the stabbing, which he said began after Lee attacked him over a “bad joke.” Jurors today got to hear Momeni, who has been sitting quietly in the courtroom through weeks of testimony, speak about what led him to stab Lee three times in the early morning hours of April 4, 2023. Momeni has been accused of murder, but his attorneys have claimed self-defense.Momeni wore a navy blue suit, spoke with a light Iranian accent, and appeared nervous: He repeatedly cut off attorneys asking him questions and refilled his cup of water several times, prompting Judge Alexandra Gordon to at one point give Momeni a framed “Inhale, Exhale” mini-poster from her bench.Momeni said today that Lee […]
When will it snow? How many days ahead the Met Office can give accurate forecast
The Met Office has suggested swathes of the UK could be set for a cold snap next week, with many areas also told to prepare for the possibility of waking up to a dusting of snow.But while the official long-range forecast has warned of "wintry showers" - including snow - predicting Britain's weather is rarely a straightforward affair.Here, Yahoo News UK tries to make sense of things.How accurately can the Met Office forecast snow?Snow forecasting for anyone, even the Met Office, can be pretty tricky - just one degree warmer or colder can be the difference between a washout and a winter wonderland.Location can also make a difference. The same type of weather front might lead to snow somewhere in a higher altitude, but cause rain in low-lying areas.The Met Office says that the UK's specific location makes it particularly […]
Few new votes, but Chyanne Chen keeps lead in District 11
The San Francisco Department of Elections just dropped the results of another 1,679 ballots, bringing the total of processed ballots to 390,437 — 74.76 percent of the electorate.Even though the count has been going slow so far this week, John Arntz, the director of the Department of Elections told Mission Local on Monday that they will “have most of the remaining ballot cards processed and reported this week.” San Francisco is seeing a record-low turnout this year with the total tracking to be about 77.8 percent. The average San Francisco turnout in a presidential year, going back 108 years, is 77 percent. All eyes are now on the only two remaining contested races: District 11 supervisor, and the fourth and last seat on the Board of Education:In District 11, Chyanne Chen kept up with her lead with 11,863 votes to her moderate […]
S&P 500 target, outlook on Trump-Musk DOGE cuts: Market Domination
US stocks (^DJI, ^IXIC, ^GSPC) are reacting to this morning's Consumer Price Index (CPI) print, which saw prices rising in line with economist projections for October. Julie Hyman and Josh Lipton tackle the day's biggest market stories on today's Market Domination. Oppenheimer Asset Management chief investment strategist John Stoltzfus outlines the catalysts he is seeing that could push the S&P 500 (^GSPC) to 6,200 by 2024's end. Citi chief US economist Andrew Hollenhorst and Tufts University Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy professor Gautam Mukunda both comment on what President-elect Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative could look like under the helm of Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Market Domination here. Other top trending stocks on the Yahoo Finance platform include Rocket Lab USA […]
Visit Chestnut Hill, PA For Holidays on the Hill
On any typical day, with its historic cobblestone streets, elegant mansions, Victorian townhomes, and a quaint walkable shopping row, Chestnut Hill, PA is pretty charming. But what most people don’t know is that nine miles northwest of Center City, Philadelphia, this picture-perfect “Garden District” quietly transforms itself into a Hallmark worthy Christmas village for its “Holidays on the Hill” event each year. With festive events running through the end of December, you’ll find many holiday themed things to see and do in Philly’s safest neighborhood. See twinkling lights, festive decorations, and creative window displays while shopping at over 60 unique boutiques in celebration of the season. When you get hungry, there’s a variety of restaurants, cafes and bakeries in Chestnut Hill that provide indoor and heated outdoor seating options, whether you’re looking for a full satisfying meal or just […]
SF immigration advocates prepare for Trump administration
San Francisco’s status as a sanctuary city places it in the bullseye for an attack from an emboldened Donald Trump administration. This time, however, lawyers and community advocates have seen the playbook, and have already begun steeling themselves. “This is the second time around … and he’s got more ideas, apparently,” said Bill Hing, the founding director of the University of San Francisco’s Immigration and Deportation Defense Clinic. “So we have got to prepare for the worst.”Changes to the immigration systemHing predicts immigration advocates will face both ideological and procedural challenges. Take domestic violence cases, for example. People escaping domestic violence currently make up the majority of cases successfully handled by Hing’s clinic. These cases will soon become more difficult to win, as Hing expects the federal attorney general appointed by Trump will hold a narrower definition of what justifies political asylum that […]
Related
Accused Nima Momeni says ‘bad joke’ led to stabbing
Nearly a month into his trial for allegedly killing Cash App founder Bob Lee, Nima Momeni took the witness stand for the first time to describe the stabbing, which he said began after Lee attacked him over a “bad joke.” Jurors today got to hear Momeni, who has been sitting quietly in the courtroom through weeks of testimony, speak about what led him to stab Lee three times in the early morning hours of April 4, 2023. Momeni has been accused of murder, but his attorneys have claimed self-defense.Momeni wore a navy blue suit, spoke with a light Iranian accent, and appeared nervous: He repeatedly cut off attorneys asking him questions and refilled his cup of water several times, prompting Judge Alexandra Gordon to at one point give Momeni a framed “Inhale, Exhale” mini-poster from her bench.Momeni said today that Lee […]
Few new votes, but Chyanne Chen keeps lead in District 11
The San Francisco Department of Elections just dropped the results of another 1,679 ballots, bringing the total of processed ballots to 390,437 — 74.76 percent of the electorate.Even though the count has been going slow so far this week, John Arntz, the director of the Department of Elections told Mission Local on Monday that they will “have most of the remaining ballot cards processed and reported this week.” San Francisco is seeing a record-low turnout this year with the total tracking to be about 77.8 percent. The average San Francisco turnout in a presidential year, going back 108 years, is 77 percent. All eyes are now on the only two remaining contested races: District 11 supervisor, and the fourth and last seat on the Board of Education:In District 11, Chyanne Chen kept up with her lead with 11,863 votes to her moderate […]
SF immigration advocates prepare for Trump administration
San Francisco’s status as a sanctuary city places it in the bullseye for an attack from an emboldened Donald Trump administration. This time, however, lawyers and community advocates have seen the playbook, and have already begun steeling themselves. “This is the second time around … and he’s got more ideas, apparently,” said Bill Hing, the founding director of the University of San Francisco’s Immigration and Deportation Defense Clinic. “So we have got to prepare for the worst.”Changes to the immigration systemHing predicts immigration advocates will face both ideological and procedural challenges. Take domestic violence cases, for example. People escaping domestic violence currently make up the majority of cases successfully handled by Hing’s clinic. These cases will soon become more difficult to win, as Hing expects the federal attorney general appointed by Trump will hold a narrower definition of what justifies political asylum that […]
Chyanne Chen’s slim lead grows — barely
The San Francisco Department of Elections moments ago released the results of an additional 6,466 ballots. That brings the grand total of processed ballots to 388,758 — 74.44 percent of the electorate.There are now very few ballots remaining — largely provisional ballots cast at citywide polling places and at City Hall. Today is also the last day for any mail ballot postmarked on Election Day or earlier to reach City Hall and be counted. All told, 18,200 additional ballots remain uncounted, including 14,500 provisional ones. Verifying provisional ballots requires additional scrutiny — and, naturally, additional time.Turnout is tracking to be about 77.8 percent, maximum. The average San Francisco turnout in a presidential year, going back 108 years, is 77 percent. Around 43,000 fewer San Franciscans will have cast a ballot in 2024 than they did four years ago. There are only two remaining contested […]
District 1 Sup Connie Chan cruising to re-election; up by 1167 votes
Progressive District 1 supervisor Connie Chan is on track to defeat her moderate challenger Marjan Philhour, after today’s vote drop put her up by 1,167 votes at 51.75 percent. This likely concluded the most expensive supervisor race this year, as moderate groups saw Chan as particularly vulnerable because she beat Philhour by just 125 votes in their last contest in 2020. Almost $2.5 million was spent in the District 1 race. But it appears that Chan’s advantage has only improved. As of Nov. 11, Chan led, 17,232 to 16,065 after ranked-choice tabulation. About 34,000 votes were already counted in District 1. There were approximately 24,700 votes citywide to be counted, but the math is not there for Philhour. The race was expected to be extremely close — the two leading candidates were tied at 11,001 votes apiece after the Thursday results update — […]
Connie Chan, Myrna Melgar bound for victory.
The San Francisco Department of Elections moments ago released the results of an additional 17,333 ballots. That brings the grand total of processed ballots to 382,292 — 73.2 percent of the electorateThere are now very few ballots remaining — perhaps 24,700. Of those, 6,700 are late-arriving vote-by-mail ballots and some 18,000 are provisional ballots cast at citywide polling places (which may or may not ultimately be accepted). Turnout is tracking to be about 77.8 percent, maximum. The average San Francisco turnout in a presidential year, going back 108 years, is 77 percent. Around 43,000 fewer San Franciscans figure to have cast a ballot in 2024 than they did four years ago. On to the contested Board of Supervisors races: District 1 Supervisor Connie Chan takes a photo with supporters on Nov. 5, 2024. Photo by Junyao Yang. In District 1, Connie Chan now sits […]
Be the first to leave a comment