Mission Local is publishing a daily campaign dispatch for each of the major contenders in the mayorโs race, alternating among candidates weekly until November. This week: Daniel Lurie. Read earlier dispatches here.
On Friday evening, the aromas of chow mein and dumplings and the sound of live music from traditional Chinese instruments filled five blocks on Grant Avenue, where the monthly BeChinatown Night Market was getting started at around 5 p.m.
“It’s bigger this time,” mayoral contender Daniel Lurie said as he entered the block, comparing the night to one in April, the night marketโs second this year, which had only stretched for three blocks.
This reporter was with Kit Lam, Lurie’s political consultant and Chinatown companion, who had been waiting for Lurie’s arrival. Already, he had prepared snacks for Lurie to try: Two boxes of dragon beard candies, a sweet treat with layers of light sugar strands wrapped around a crumbly core of coconut, peanut, and sesame seeds. Lam had bought them 15 minutes earlier from Derek Tam, the candy maker at the Dragon Papa Dessert booth.
Lurie bit through the middle of one, and instantly, the white strings floated into the air and onto the lapel and shoulders of his suit. Surprised, he lowered his hand immediately and laughed.
“You like it?” Lam asked, laughing as well.
“Yeah!” Lurie said. “It went all over!”
The candy tasting kicked off the night for the mayoral contender. He shook a dozen hands with restaurant owners at the booths, took loads of pictures, and introduced himself to everyone he met: “I’m Daniel Lurie, and I’m running for mayor.”
Some shopkeepers waved to Lurie as he walked up to them. They’re now spotting Lurie all the time in Chinatown.ย A Chinese grandma, who seemed star-struck by Lurie when she and her husband walked past him, stopped the candidate and asked for a picture together. Lurie gladly obliged.ย
And of course, he left the booths with some treats: Passionfruit tea from Ti Bear Tea and a small box of barbecue pork rice noodle rolls drizzled with hot mustard sauce from Sam Wo Restaurant.
It was the first time most people had seen Lurie in person. Reagan, a volunteer for the night market, was one of them. But Reagan was already familiar with Lurie’s campaign.
“You’ve got yourself in the mail!” Reagan said while laughing. He said he has seen Lurie’s advertisements in his mailbox multiple times. “You guys are pretty aggressive and you are getting your name out there!”
The BeChinatown Night Market, which takes place every second Friday of the month, also had help from the Civic Joy Fund for arts and community events โ a $2 million project conceived by Lurie and Manny Yekutiel, owner of Manny’s in the Mission District.
The fund, kicked off by a gift from Lurie and overseen by Yekutiel, was able to have “a bit leftover” from last year to fund this yearโs night market, said Yekutiel, who happened to be walking past Lurie and this reporter on Friday night.
“We have one in the Sunset,” Yekutiel said, referring to a similar night market on Irving Street. “And we have four more night markets to come this year.”
Tillie Lee, 77, a volunteer for the night market from the Rotary Club of San Francisco, said she will vote for Lurie.
Lee said she thinks Lurie is a “new guy” running for a good cause, unlike other candidates who are career politicians. As a San Francisco native, Lee said she can’t stand how the city is right now, and feels embarrassed for it.
“I think he feels the same way as I do, and he’s doing something about it,” Lee said, adding she might sign up to volunteer for Lurie while looking at Marcelo Colussi, a new field worker for Lurie, who was also standing at the corner of Sacramento Street and Grant Avenue.
As Lee went back to her shift, Lurie and Lam came up to say goodbye to Colussi and thanked him for another day of handing out signs.
By Colussi’s side was Michael, a 25-year-old voter and Sunset resident, who declined to disclose his last name. He and Colussi continued their conversation about this year’s mayoral race as Lurie and Lam were leaving.
“Experience is really important,” said Michael, adding that he has doubts about Lurieโs understanding of how things run in City Hall.
Michael said he hasn’t made up his mind on who he will support, especially since the filing deadline for mayoral candidacy is one month away, and “anyone could still jump in.” But one thing is certain: He will be voting for up to four candidates in this ranked-choice race.
Colussi started out volunteering for Lurie last December, and has been going to the farmers’ markets with the candidate since February. He said, more often than not, what he hears residents say about the mayoral candidates is “anybody but her,” referring to Mayor London Breed. “That’s not good for the incumbent,” Colussi said, holding the “Lurie for Mayor” sign in hand. But it could be for the top four challengers, including Lurie.
Suddenly, another mayoral candidate, Mark Farrell, and his team of some 15 staffers and volunteers โ Lurieโs contingent numbered about five, including Colussi and Lam โ crossed the street toward them and walked past Colussi and Michael on the narrow and crowded sidewalk.
Farrell didn’t look at the two volunteers, but some of his companions side-eyed Colussi and his sign while smiling awkwardly.
Nearby, some of Lurie’s window signs placed earlier in the week were still up, including at the Wok Shop and Chinatown Kite Shop. One at Red Blossom Tea Company, which Lurie paid a visit to on Wednesday, had been taken down.
The night market concluded Lurie’s schedule at Chinatown for this week.
“We’ll be back,” Lurie said as he was leaving. “We will also try to be at every corner of the city, the Richmond, the Sunset, everywhere.”
โAnybody but Breed,โ yup. Thatโs exactly the mindset of most of the City. If youโre at 80% unpopularity with Asian voters, itโs over. Thereโs no coming back from that.