Gary McCoy and Darshini Patel, two candidates for District 8 supervisor, are encouraging their supporters to rank the other candidate second on their ballots. The move could help propel them past their opponents, Manny Yekutiel and Michael Nguyen.
Under San Francisco’s ranked-choice voting system, the candidate with the lowest number of votes is eliminated, and their votes are redistributed to the candidate ranked next on each ballot. This process repeats until a candidate has over 50 percent of the vote.
An alliance between McCoy and Patel means a high share of the votes for whomever of the two is knocked out first may go to the other, potentially helping that candidate triumph.
In this case, the ranked-choice strategy will likely benefit McCoy, a former aide to Rep. Nancy Pelosi. He and Yekutiel, the owner of a political cafe and event space, are considered the frontrunners in the race — they’ve raised the most money and have received the most valuable endorsements.
Patel, a former tech worker and presidential campaign staffer, is considered a longshot. But, she has cultivated some grassroots support and is running a canvassing operation to spread her message.
Patel recently received a boost on that front, earning the endorsement of the SF Solidarity Club, a new political club with dozens of members that plan to mobilize on her behalf. Her background in tech may also help her bring in more moderate voters who may have otherwise ranked Yekutiel second.
“Darshini and I agree: we need a City Hall that gets the basics right by delivering on priorities like housing affordability, safety and support for small businesses,” McCoy said in a statement Friday, announcing the alliance. “We share so many of the same values, and I appreciate Darshini’s experience solving large and complex problems in the private sector.”
“Gary has a wealth of experience, both from his time working in policy and working in City Hall, and from his own personal experiences, to be able to advocate for District 8 well and serve the needs of the community,” Patel said.
Both McCoy and Patel have run YIMBY, progressive campaigns — an unusual combination in San Francisco. They both oppose the San Francisco Police Department’s use of Flock license plate reader cameras and also support upzoning to allow taller buildings, for instance.
Yekutiel, meanwhile, has run on a traditional moderate platform, supporting new market-rate housing development, police surveillance and a tough-on-crime approach. Nguyen, a patent attorney and drag queen, has run on a progressive platform — he opposed the upzoning plan because of concerns about displacement and also opposes San Francisco’s use of Flock cameras.
Though Nguyen has joined McCoy and Patel in sharply criticizing Yekutiel at debates, he is not planning to join McCoy and Patel’s alliance, according to a McCoy spokesperson.
