SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Wednesday, November 9 — Mayoral candidate John Avalos responded to results from the first round of votes, which put him in a strong second place.
“We are incredibly proud to have run a clean, issue-based campaign, with 99 percent of the work done by volunteers. We defied expectations, and to have come this far is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our volunteers. But we are equally proud of the fact that we were able to change the debate, to make sure that the issues that matter to the everyday people in this city are now on the table and are getting the attention they deserve. We are confident that the results will wind up in our favor; I think everyone is in for a surprise.”
In spite of entering the race late and spending less than a quarter of Mayor Ed Lee’s campaign budget, Avalos saw a surge both in the polls and on the streets. His campaign had enormous grassroots support from a broad cross-section of San Franciscans, with over 90 percent of donations coming from everyday San Franciscans; 85 percent of his donations were under $100. This is markedly different from some of the other candidates’ campaigns, which relied on negative character attacks, hit pieces, television commercials and the efforts of big-budget, unregulated independent expenditure committees to make up the difference.
“This campaign is about building unity, building connections within the community of people who have been left out of the political process. We have been proud and inspired to see people from the Tenants Union working side by side with people from the Bike Coalition, to see members of DogPAC working with community members from the Bayview,” said Rosi Reyes, campaign spokeswoman. “These connections are integral to ensuring a new era of progressive policy-making in San Francisco, and we believe it is just a glimmer of what is to come with an Avalos administration.”
In addition to generating enormous grassroots enthusiasm, Avalos garnered some of the most coveted endorsements in town, including those of the San Francisco Bay Guardian, the San Francisco Democratic Party, the Harvey Milk LGBT Democractic Club, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and the largest public-sector union, SEIU 1021. He was also endorsed by the United Educators of San Francisco, the California Nurses Association and San Francisco Rising Action Fund, among many others.