Explore: More than $11M is going toward San Francisco’s March 5 election

Campaign contributions for the Tuesday, March 5, primary election have raised an eye-watering sum: More than $11 million has been donated to ballot measures, judicial candidates and Democratic County Central Committee candidates.

The bulk of the giving — $7 million — is going to propositions: There are seven on the ballot addressing issues that include affordable housing, police oversight and drug screening.

Then there is the control of the San Francisco Democratic Party: Two rival slates are feuding, one attempting to oust progressives from the body they have overseen for eight years. Control of the local party is important, as the committee endorses candidates and measures in the November election and beyond. The race has attracted more than $2 million in direct giving.

And two contests for San Francisco superior court, a state-level race, have attracted some $2 million. Two tough-on-crime candidates are hoping to oust incumbent judges and are backed by six-figure sums in that goal.

Use the charts below to see which measures and candidates have received funding, and to search for donors by name.

Ballot measures

Mayor London Breed’s allies have reached deep into their pockets to fund this year’s ballot measures — or derail them. In particular, four ballot measures supported by the mayor are seeing six- and seven-figure sums; one opposed by her has more than a million dollars lined up against it.

Proposition A, the $300 million affordable-housing bond, is now receiving significant sums after a late start: More than $800,000 has been fundraised to pass the measure, which requires a two-thirds majority. That is less than the nearly $3 million amassed to pass previous housing bonds. Supporters had grumbled that the mayor was not doing enough to muster support for her own measure, focusing fundraising on her Propositions E and F, instead.

Proposition B, a police staffing measure, has attracted an astounding $1.3 million against it, largely coming from allies of Breed. The measure was put on the ballot by Supervisor Ahsha Safaí, a rival mayoral candidate, and it would tie police staffing increases to identified future revenue.

Proposition C would eliminate transfer taxes for commercial buildings that are converted into housing, an attempt to revitalize downtown in the face of a work-from-home exodus. It has raised some $370,000. The city controller’s office, however, wrote that the measure was unlikely to incentivize new conversions, and could lower the city’s tax base — just as it is facing a nearly $800 million deficit.

Then there’s Proposition E, Breed’s measure to loosen police oversight and allow for more surveillance and vehicle chases, a bid to untie the department’s hands, she says. It has attracted some $2.1 million for, and just $210,000 against. Advocates and experts worry it will be a step back after a grueling fight to institute police reform in San Francisco.

Proposition F, another Breed measure, would force some welfare recipients to undergo drug screening, and would mandate treatment for them, before they receive cash assistance or benefits; it has raised more than $650,000. Doctors and advocates who work closest with drug users say the measure is punitive and unlikely to work.

And Proposition G, a symbolic measure to urge the school district to teach algebra in eighth grade. The district had only offered it in ninth grade, except in special cases, an attempt to avoid separating students by ability early in their education. The school district has already said it will begin offering algebra during the 2024-2025 school year. The measure has received $175,000 so far.

Democratic County Central Committee

Between the SF Democrats for Change and the Labor and Working Families Union, 48 candidates are running for the “D-triple-C.”

The body, the local party organ, is obscure, but responsible for a key function: Endorsements. It issues the official Democratic Party line in local races, which will be key in November, when a large portion of the electorate turns out and looks to the Democratic Party’s seal of approval.

The Labor and Working Families Slate is seeking to retain control of the body for progressives. It has a few bigger names than the rival slate — including current and former supervisors — which is key in a down-ballot election where voters will scan through dozens of names.

It has fundraised about a third of the total of its rival, the SF Democrats for Change slate, which is backed by tech money and is seeking to change the party’s direction. That slate also has a few big names, but is largely composed of political newcomers seeking a foothold. Some of the biggest funders of the slate are also funding big money networks of nonprofits seeking to win big in this year’s elections and reshape City Hall.

San Francisco Superior Court

Finally, four candidates are competing for two seats on the San Francisco Superior Court: Albert “Chip” Zecher and Judge Michael Begert for Seat 1, and Jean Myungjin Roland and Judge Patrick Thompson for Seat 13.

Zecher and Roland are tough-on-crime candidates who have run on platforms of making criminals pay, and their backers have spoken of holding drug dealers, drug users, thieves and others accountable for their deeds. A group endorsing both, Stop Crime SF, misrepresented its findings in “report cards” reviewing the two sitting judges.

Because the contests are state-level races, contributions are unlimited, and each candidate has amassed significant sums.

Methodology

For ballot measure and DCCC contributions, data was obtained from the San Francisco Ethics Commission. Amounts include all donations of $100 or larger as of Jan. 20, 2024 and any donations above $1,000 as of March 5, 2024. Information on candidates’ slates obtained from their respective websites, Labor and Working Families and SF Democrats for Change.

Judge candidate contributions were obtained from the California Secretary of State on February 26, 2024.

Contributions to the “Begert And Patrick Thompson; Safe And Accountable San Francisco Supporting The Retention Of Judges Michael Isaku” committee have been divided equally and then listed under each candidate, to avoid overcounting. For example: Allen Ruby donated $1,000 to this committee, but the donation is listed as two separate contributions of $500 for each candidate. Prior to March 4, 2024, these contributions were listed as the full amount under each candidate.

If you spot any errors in the data, please contact kelly@missionlocal.com.

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