See how they run: Lurie is interviewed in Visitacion Valley

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Pastor Robert Cowan had apparently done his fair share of research on the five mayoral candidates before kicking off his series of interviews with them at the River of Life Church at 1430 Sunnydale Ave. in District 10. One of the poorest neighborhoods in the city, it’s not a place where candidates have spent a lot of time. 

It showed in one of his questions for Daniel Lurie, the second candidate to sit down with Cowan on Wednesday evening. Earlier, the pastor had spent an hour interviewing Supervisor Ahsha Safaí. 

“Yours was the only website I went on that was off-putting to me,” Cowan said. “I couldn’t believe it.”

Lurie looked surprised. “Like, in general, the whole website?” he asked. 

It was the cookies that bothered Cowan. “Everybody else, they are not using cookies,” he said. 

“I like chocolate chip cookies,” Lurie said, trying to deflect the critique. It worked. 

“I wish you were offering them!” Cowan laughed. So did the audience.

“I’m going to look into this,” Lurie promised, and then smiled. “You think I’m tracking you?”

“Well, somebody’s tracking somebody!” Cowan replied, as some in the audience murmured, “yeah.” 

The brief “cookie” exchange came after Lurie spoke of using technology to combat crimes, praising the hundred of safety cameras installed in the Tenderloin, a program largely funded by crypto-billionaire Chris Larsen. Lurie thinks the cameras in the Tenderloin, which only store data for up to 30 days, can hold repeat offenders accountable. 

Cowan’s interview with Lurie, as it had for Safaí, went on for about an hour to an audience of some 30 people, nearly all Black and Asian, and most of them from Visitacion Valley. 

School bags, pizza boxes, and walking canes scattered across the floor. 

For most in the audience, including Cowan, it was their first time meeting Lurie. Like Cowan, they were here to get to know the candidate so that they could make a more informed decision when voting for the next mayor. 

Living in the neighborhood at the Southeastern part of the city, residents said the neighborhood is always “forgotten,” and has to compete for resources against Bayview, which is adjacent and has a similar demographic. 

Lurie said that he has always cared for the community, noting the work his family has done for the neighborhood, especially in childcare and early education. 

The candidate told the crowd of their support for the Cross Cultural Family Center which has a location on Leland Avenue in Visitacion Valley. They have also been supporting Wu Yee Children’s Services for about 30 years, a Head Start center that is opening a new location as part of the $72-million Sunnydale Community Hub that sits across Hahn Street from River of Life church. 

Another question was about violent crime. 

In 2019, 88-year-old Yik Oi Huang was beaten in the Visitacion Valley playground, and died in the hospital a year later. Huang’s alleged killer has yet to face trial. How can these acts be prevented? 

Again, Lurie underscored “community.” 

“We need to be recruiting officers that look like the communities they serve, and speak the language of the communities they serve,” Lurie said. “That’s how you get better policing.” 

The night ended with a series of “rapid-fire” questions from the audience — and one question was asked by the same person, who didn’t identify themselves, to both Lurie and Safaí. 

“I need housing,” the host read the index card. “If I don’t secure some soon, I will be forced to move out of the state with my daughter. Help me.”

Lurie and Safaí had different reactions. 

Safaí said that he doesn’t have the direct control over providing people housing, but highlighted the rental assistance program and food empowerment market he helped to create. The audience didn’t give much of a reaction, and instead stayed quiet. 

Lurie offered his personal connections. “If you want to come up and tell me, or email me at Daniel at Daniel Lurie dot com,” he said. “I will be happy to put you in touch with some great nonprofit leaders that I know that help housing families, specifically.”

This time, a few attendees nodded and some murmured “hmm” in surprise.

More Field notes from the mayor’s race

See how they run: Safaí chaperones Farrell, ‘mi amigo,’ through Excelsior

See how they run: For Mark Farrell, it’s him vs. Lurie 

See how they run: Can London Breed pull this off?