Down a seven-block stretch of Mission Street in the Excelsior, political signs plaster storefronts from nearly all of the mayoral candidates, and those running for supervisor in District 11. Only Mark Farrell and Roger Marenco fail to appear.
With the election season in full swing, candidates have thousands, sometimes millions, of dollars to spend on advertising.
But several shopkeepers say they are agnostic about which candidates’ signs go up on their windows. Some have signs from candidates opposing each other, like Mayor London Breed and Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin. The same is true for District 11 candidates: Shops feature Michael Lai signs alongside those for Chyenne Chen, or Adlah Chisti next to Ernest “EJ” Jones.
“I would let everyone put their signs up,” said David Huang, the owner of Hong Kong Bakery at 4711 Mission St. “I want everyone to have equal opportunities.”
A stroll down Mission Street in the Excelsior, a main commercial drag in the district, revealed the pattern is widespread: Storefront after storefront advertises disparate, sometimes diametrically opposed, candidates for office.
“I like everyone, every candidate,” said Simon Rantisi, the owner of Yick’s Liquors at 4701 Mission St. “I always meet them, and wish them good luck.”
Depending on the business, the signs — in English, traditional Chinese, or Spanish — cover part or the entirety of the storefront’s doors and windows.
Political scientists say signs in well-trafficked areas can make a real difference for candidates in local races that generally draw less attention.
In a 2011 Nashville experiment, political scientists Cindy Kam and Elizabeth Zechmeister at Vanderbilt University placed yard signs for a fictitious county council candidate named “Ben Griffin” on the lawn of a home near an elementary school.
In a later survey, nearly 25 percent of those who saw the Griffin signs ranked him in their top three for council seats, compared to about 14 percent in the control group, who hadn’t seen his signs. Those signs increase support for a candidate, Kam and Zechmeister concluded.
David Ho, a San Francisco political consultant, agreed. “It’s especially true in the district supervisor race,” Ho said, “a race packed in a district of under 100,000 voters.”
In District 11, seven candidates are running to court votes from 44,716 registered voters. Ho said window signs are a good way to attract attention from neighbors, especially at mom-and-pop shops such as local dry cleaners, coffee shops, bakeries and restaurants.
For the merchants themselves, the choice to put up a sign is often fairly simple: Did a candidate or their staff come by? If so, chances are good that they will get some advertising space.
Huang, the owner of Hong Kong Bakery, a Chinese restaurant serving Chinese pastries and warm plates, said he has met all of the candidates who have their signs up, except for Chen, who is running for supervisor.
But wait — Chen said Huang’s shop is her favorite restaurant in District 11.
“I have never seen her,” Huang said in Mandarin. “Only her political friends who are my acquaintances, who told me to vote for her.”
He can’t, as he is registered to vote in San Mateo County. But, as a small businessman, he pays close attention to San Francisco’s elections.
Breed and supervisor candidate Lai have both made an impression. Breed, he said, had her meetings at his place and, afterward, ordered his sweet sesame balls.
“She came a few times!” he recalled and then pointed to Lai’s sign. “But the guy Michael, Lai Tiancheng [Lai’s Chinese name], came here all the time.”
Lai had meetings at one of the few small wooden tables in the shop before he set up his campaign office a few doors down, at 4735 Mission St.
When they spoke, he said, Lai made a lot of promises to improve things for small businesses in the district — music to Huang’s ears. But he wondered about Lai’s recent move to the district.
“This is his weakness,” Huang said. Perhaps, he added, Lai can make up for it by talking to neighbors more.
Like Huang, Mike from Cole Cleaners Too, at 4708 Mission St., also wants to give everyone a chance. “Everyone wants to make a name for themselves,” he said.
He most remembers District 11 Supervisor Ahsha Safaí, the mayoral candidate who is also a customer.
Signs from Lai and Chen, two of the candidates who are running to succeed Safaí, also hang in the window.
“Michael Lai, never seen him before,” he said, looking over at the two signs on the door. “Chyanne Chen, never seen her before. But she did say she grew up here and lives here.”
A few doors down, at CAN Beauty Supply at 4696 Mission St., Jocelyn Dache said she remembers two candidates coming in, while others sent staffers to put up the signs and make small talk.
However, Dache doesn’t remember who they are, or what office they are running for. She could only recall that one of the candidates was a woman, who thanked her for working for the neighborhood and encouraged her to go vote.
“But no more details,” Dache said. “I wanna know more about what they are trying to accomplish if elected.” It would help voters, she added, if the candidates talked more about their policies — and in plain and simple language.
Angie Bellinger, the manager of CAN, which opened about one and a half years ago, has not met any of the candidates. Bellinger said staffers always promise to come back. And they do. Nine times out of 10, they returned to make small purchases — usually nail polish, false eyelashes and accessories that cost about $30 to $40.
Bellinger said the owner allows any candidate to put up their signs. It’s like the name of the shop, “CAN” — I can, you can, we can.
Across the street from CAN Beauty Supply is Yick’s Liquors, where the walls are also plastered with candidate signs.
Most of the signs are behind the fence and less visible; four Safaí signs in Chinese and English, and signs for Jones, Jose Morales, Peskin, Lai and Lurie are squeezed onto the narrow panel next to the door. Chen’s, thanks to a lot of plastic tape, hangs on the fence. Breed’s sits flat and comfortable on the door.
Sergio Vega, the owner of Mamá Mari’s Taqueria at 4791 Mission St., feels the same way as Dache. He, too, doesn’t have any impression of the candidates. Most had their campaign staffers put up signs at his door: Lurie, Safaí, as well as supervisor candidates Adlah Chisti and Lai.
Vega said Lai has been in the store once, but he knows as little about him as any other candidate.
Ho, the campaign consultant, said that in the mayoral race, candidates have more resources: Besides window signs, candidates also resort to direct mail, billboards and TV ads. In this year’s race, with an incumbent running for re-election, Ho underscored contender Lurie, who previously had less name recognition than his four major opponents who have all held office.
“Daniel Lurie has to get his message out,” Ho said. “He has to invest more, increase his name ID and face exposure.” Lurie and his deep-pocketed PAC have done so, pouring $2.3 million into advertising and billboards.
“I have not seen a winning campaign that doesn’t have signs,” Ho said. “High-profile campaigns tend to have more signs up there, and there are only so many stores.”