Since our last campaign finance dispatch on Oct. 1, another $5 million has been raised for the San Francisco November election, bringing the total money in the race to a whopping $53.5 million. About $38 million of that has already been spent.
With less than three weeks to go, some wealthy donors have turned to placing their bets opposing candidates, rather than supporting their preferred ones.
- Ronald Conway, a venture capitalist and longtime Breed backer, gave $100,000 to a political action committee opposing Board of Supervisors President and mayoral candidate Aaron Peskin. That contribution was made on the same day that an op-ed written by Michael Moritz attacking Peskin was published in the New York Times.
(Moritz, a billionaire venture capitalist and the chief patron of the group TogetherSF, is also a big donor in this election: He has spent almost $3 million to back TogetherSF’s measure Proposition D, to cut city commissions; $500,000 of that has gone to Mark Farrell’s PAC for the measure, which has shared expenses with his mayoral campaign.)
This is Conway’s first major donation to the mayor’s race. Until now, his only donation was $500 to Mayor London Breed’s campaign. He has also given to several propositions, including $150,000 to Prop. D, $110,000 to Prop. M and $25,000 to Prop. F.
Big contributions have also gone in against Farrell:
- The city’s largest union, SEIU Local 1021, contributed $238,000 to a PAC opposing Farrell’s mayoral campaign. The union represents some 16,000 workers in the city and has given its sole endorsement to Peskin.
- IFPTE Local 21, a public sector workers’ union, also gave $100,000 to the PAC opposing Farrell.
Meanwhile, two other unions gave to a PAC supporting Peskin:
- UNITE HERE, a hotel and restaurant workers’ union, gave $150,000.
- The National Union of Healthcare Workers, which has ranked Peskin their No. 1 choice, gave $75,000.
Farrell has garnered support from some unions, namely the firefighters union and the building and construction trades union, but is strongly opposed by others. Last week, the National Union of Healthcare Workers rescinded its second-choice endorsement of Ahsha Safaí after Farrell and Safaí formed a ranked choice voting alliance.
Here are the notable contributions, from Oct. 1 to Oct. 16:
More money to mayoral PACs
The mayor’s race continues to be the most expensive race, representing about half of the total money raised overall: $27 million.
This month, established Farrell supporters have given more to a PAC supporting his run for mayor: “Safer San Francisco for Mark Farrell for Mayor 2024.” The PAC has raised a total of $2.4 million, which places it close behind the PAC supporting Breed, which has raised $2.5 million.
- Former building inspection commissioner and real estate investor Angus McCarthy gave $124,500. McCarthy is involved in a North Beach development with Farrell’s backer, Moritz, a development that was recently put on ice. While this his first contribution to Farrell, McCarthy created the PAC in the first place.
- Sameer Gandhi, a venture capitalist, gave $100,000 to the pro-Farrell PAC. He previously gave $96,012 to Farrell’s Prop. D committee.
- Kamran Moghtaderi, an investment advisor at Eversept Partners, gave $125,000, bringing his total to the PAC to $250,000.
- Chris Galvin, a CEO at an investment firm who is based in Florida, gave $50,000.
- Ted Ullyot, a lawyer based in Washington and former general counsel at Facebook, gave $20,000. He also gave $10,000 to Farrell’s Prop. D committee.
- Eric Mathewson, manager at Prescient Capital, gave $50,000.
- Rishi Shah, president at Eversept Partners based in New York, gave $25,000.
Still, Lurie continues to maintain his status as both No. 1 in fundraising and PAC support:
- This month, mayoral candidate Daniel Lurie gave another $1.75 million to his own candidate campaign, bringing his total fundraising to $8.93 million, $8.04 million of that from his own pocket. He is lagging behind others in direct fundraising from ordinary San Franciscans, but the Levi Strauss heir has shelled out more of his own money than any city candidate in living memory.
Meanwhile, several large contributions went to the PAC supporting Lurie:
- Helen O’Neill, an investor based in Palm Beach, Florida, gave $100,000.
- Matthew Perry, an investor, gave $50,000.
- Tony Salewski, managing partner at Genstar Capital, gave $25,000, bringing his total to $100,000.
- Jill Bowen, an investor, gave $25,000.
- Michael Green, a real estate investor, gave $25,000.
- Eli Weiss, an investor at Genstar Capital, gave $25,000.
- Claire Moffett, a tech entrepreneur, gave $25,000.
- Adam Smith, an executive at the Walt Disney Company, gave $5,000.
Corporate giving to ballot propositions
The 15 ballot propositions continue to raise money. While Prop D. has vastly outraised every other measure — it is responsible for some $8.8 million of the $17 million total in ballot measure fundraising — some others have received large contributions this month, primarily from corporate committees.
On that note: This week we created an interactive tool where you can explore the 15 local propositions on the ballot and who is giving to them.
Proposition B, the $390 bond measure to fund infrastructure upgrades in the city, including housing and hospital infrastructure, has raised a total of close to $1.6 million in support, including several recent contributions:
- Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. and Hospitals gave $75,000.
- The Golden State Warriors gave $7,500. The Warriors also gave $7,500 to Prop. F, the measure to defer police retirement.
- The San Francisco Parks Alliance gave a total of over $66,000.
- Kilroy Realty gave $25,000
- The “Committee to restore police minimum staffing and public safety, sponsored by SF Labor Organizations” gave $50,000.
- Sutter Health gave $50,000.
- Swinerton Builders gave $20,000.
- The Operating Engineers Local Union gave $25,000.
Other notable contributions:
- An Airbnb committee gave $250,000 to Prop. M, the business tax reform measure, bringing its total contribution to $500,000.
- Chesa Boudin, former district attorney, donated $1,000 to Prop. K, the measure to close the Great Highway to cars.
- SEIU Local 21 gave $75,000 to Prop. N.
- TogetherSF gave $140,000 to Prop. D, its own measure on commission reform.
- Barbara Dickinson Stewart, occupation unknown, gave $25,000 to a committee supporting Peskin.
Anything notable we’ve missed? Email me at kelly@missionlocal.com and we’ll get it into a future dispatch.
Correction: This article incorrectly stated that IFPTE Local 21 contributed to Prop. B. This has been updated.
How can that be? Safai said he was making a deal with Farrell because the unions adored him.