Levi Strauss heir Daniel Lurie pledges to make San Francisco safer as mayor

Levi Strauss heir and philanthropist Daniel Lurie says he will make streets safer, help small businesses and squash the open-air drug markets that have tarnished San Francisco’s image in recent years

Daniel Lurie, an heir to the Levi Strauss fortune and philanthropist who has never held public office, promised on Friday that as San Francisco's mayor he will help struggling small businesses and bring an end to the open-air drug markets.

“Your voices and your call for accountable leadership, service and change have been heard,” Lurie said at a park in San Francisco's Chinatown, delivering his first public remarks since Mayor London Breed called him to concede the race the previous day.

Lurie said he chose Chinatown for Friday’s event to underscore how important the area's health is to turning San Francisco around. He walked the neighborhood the day after the election and visited again with merchants Friday. Chinese voters are also critical to winning citywide in San Francisco.

The Associated Press has not declared a winner in Tuesday’s election because tens of thousand of ballots have not yet been counted and added to the ranked choice voting calculations.

But on Friday, Lurie held a commanding lead in early election results and Breed called Lurie on Thursday to congratulate him. She posted on the social platform X that she and her staff will work to ensure the political newcomer has a smooth transition when he takes over as mayor.

“I know we are both committed to improving this City we love,” Breed wrote.

Lurie's ascent was remarkable for a candidate with little name recognition who appears to have bested two San Francisco supervisors and a former interim mayor to unseat.

His deep pockets helped. Lurie spent nearly $9 million of his own money on his first-time campaign for mayor and raised more than $16 million, including $1 million from his mother Mimi Haas. Lurie is the step-son of the late Peter Haas, a great-grandnephew of Levi Strauss and longtime CEO of the iconic clothing company.

Breed's victory six years ago as the city's first Black female mayor — who grew up impoverished living in public housing — showed that no dream was impossible in the progressive, compassionate and equitable city. But the honeymoon was short-lived as the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered stores and tech workers retreated to home offices. Tent encampments proliferated, as did public drug use.

Streets did become cleaner and homeless tents much harder to find, but the daytime shooting in September of 49ers rookie Ricky Pearsall in a popular central shopping district reignited a debate over public safety. She faced off with multiple opponents who accused her of doing too little too late.

On policy, Lurie does not differ much from Breed. Lurie said he wants to build more housing, crack down on drug dealers, get homeless people off the streets and take a compassionate yet firm approach to drug users who refuse help.

But he said that as a political outsider, he would bring a critical eye to bureaucracy, weed out nonprofits and department heads who fail to deliver, and focus on results.

Lurie plans to beef up the city's police presence, declare a fentanyl state of emergency, set up 1,500 temporary shelter beds within six months, and drastically streamline the permitting process so small businesses can thrive, he said.

His opponents on the campaign trail trashed Lurie for spending so much money, but his supporters did not seem to mind, nor did they seem bothered by his lack of experience in government. Several people at Friday's event said they were familiar with the anti-poverty nonprofit he founded in 2005, Tipping Point Community.

“I’m so happy to have Daniel here because, you see, special interests is gone. He doesn’t need the money, it’s all about passion for this city,” said Shirletha Holmes-Boxx, 67, a community organizer.

Lurie, 47, said he plans to put his holdings into a blind trust and talk to the city attorney about forgoing the mayor’s $380,000 annual salary.

Paul Yep, a retired San Francisco Police Department commander, said Lurie convinced him early on with his ideas, passion and purpose for running.

“I saw his commitment and his love for San Francisco,” Yep said. “I knew that the outsider point of view was exactly what was needed.”

Lurie planned to visit other parts of the city Friday, including a senior center, lunch at a gumbo social, ice cream with his two children and happy hour at a pub.

“So many people love this city, it’s time for us to start making people feel like the city loves them back,” he said Friday, with his wife Becca Prowda at his side as scores of supporters snapped photos, clapped their hands and hooted with joy.