Daniel Lurie is stepping on the gas: On Thursday, newly released filings show that the Levi Strauss heir has dropped another $1.6 million on his mayoral campaign.
That brings the total backing Lurie’s campaign to $8.45 million, including $5.45 million in an independent political action committee.
In August, Lurie made three separate contributions to his campaign as the November election draws near: $375,000 on Aug. 7, $950,000 on Aug. 15, and another $260,000 on Aug. 22. Lurie’s family has put in $1.1 million to the PAC.
This is not the first time Lurie — formerly the CEO of the nonprofit Tipping Point and the richest of all five mayoral race front runners — has self-funded his race. Prior to August, Lurie had poured a total of $590,000 into his bid for the Room 200.
In a statement, Lurie’s team did not directly address the influx of cash. Instead, as the candidate has said himself many times on the campaign trail, his campaign manager, in an attempt to differentiate Lurie from his rivals, emphasized that Lurie is an outsider to San Francisco politics.
“Daniel is committed to sharing his vision for changing the broken status quo at City Hall,” said Han Zou, the campaign manager. “He hasn’t spent the last 20 years running for office like his opponents, but it’s clear voters see that as an asset. Daniel knows everything is earned, and that’s why he’s the hardest working candidate out there.”
So far, Lurie has been leading fundraising in this election, though most of that is money he has spent himself: Lurie has raised $3 million in total for his own candidate committee, $2.19 million of which, 73 percent, came from himself.
Mayor London Breed has fundraised $1.85 million, and a PAC supporting her has raised $1 million. Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin has raised $1.13 million, and District 11 Supervisor Ahsha Safaí has raised $958,000.
Mark Farrell has raised about $953,500 and a PAC backing him has raised $10,000. Farrell also has a ballot measure committee for a proposition on capping the number of city commissions that has raised about $1.35 million. Rivals say it is indirectly benefiting his mayoral race because the two have shared tens of thousands in campaign infrastructure.
Candidate committees can only take donations of up to $500 per donor, but candidates are allowed to pour unlimited amounts of their own money into their campaigns. Lurie also has a political action committee in his corner that can take in unlimited funds.
Named “Believe in SF, Lurie for Mayor 2024,” the PAC has been receiving money from deep-pocketed donors like WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum, and Oleg Nodelman, the owner of a biotech investment firm, since it was created 23 days after Lurie filed his candidacy. That also includes a $1 million donation from Miriam “Mimi” Haas, Lurie’s billionaire and philanthropist mother, and $100,000 from his brother, Ari Lurie.
So far, the PAC has raised more than $5.45 million in total — with the latest donation of $250,000 from Koum on Aug. 21.
He’s still aint going to win.
Especially with those cant skip over 20 second lying YouTube ads.
Hey my fellow Peskin Supporters !!
Vote for Lurie with your Second Place Ranked-Choice because he is nothing like his campaign.
Nicest guy you ever met and I tried to talk him into agreeing to let SF Voters choose our own pick out of a Field for Police Chief and suggested that, should he be lucky enough to beat both Aaron and Dominion that he should hire Aaron as his Chief of Staff.
I forget how he answered.
Go Niners !!
h.