San Francisco Picks Its Own ‘Trump’ to Lead City

San Francisco has just shaken up its political landscape, choosing Daniel Lurie—a newcomer with deep pockets and ties to old money—as its next mayor.

Lurie, an heir to the Levi Strauss fortune, mirrors Donald Trump’s 2016 rise. Both men were wealthy outsiders, stepping into politics to disrupt the status quo. This change comes after the city’s first Black female mayor, London Breed, conceded the race on Thursday.

The race highlighted a Democrat city struggling with a conservative’s core issue: law and order. Crime, homelessness, and the spiraling cost of living have plagued San Francisco under Breed’s watch. Like Trump’s immigration focus, Lurie zeroed in on homelessness, promising sweeping reforms to “fix” the city. Breed, who came into office in 2018, couldn’t stem the city’s descent. Her tenure saw a pandemic-triggered exodus, which left San Francisco’s streets emptier but more dangerous.

Lurie’s campaign echoed Trump in another way: big donors. With backing from tech elites, including WhatsApp’s Jan Koum, Lurie poured $8.6 million of his own fortune and an additional $1 million from his mother into his campaign.

He positioned himself as a “political outsider” here to shake things up—much like Trump in 2016. Critics argue that his nonprofit, Tipping Point Community, while effective at a small scale, can’t meet the citywide demand for homelessness solutions. Lurie disagrees, promising to create 1,500 new shelter beds within six months.

San Francisco’s crises have worsened in recent years. The city’s Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing reports that over 8,300 people were homeless in 2024, a stark increase since 2022. Meanwhile, housing prices remain astronomical, fentanyl has taken hold, and small businesses are shuttering. This chaotic scene has flooded social media, painting a grim picture of a once-vibrant city on the brink.

Lurie’s victory speech was all about change. He vowed to boost police presence, help small businesses recover, and protect Chinese-American residents, who have been recent targets of anti-Asian hate crimes. But Breed didn’t hold back, calling his campaign spending “disgusting” and accusing him of “buying the race.” Yet in her concession, she committed to a smooth transition, stating, “What matters is that we keep moving this city forward.”

Lurie now has a mandate to try and resurrect San Francisco. And just like Trump, he’s stepping into office on a wave of discontent, promising to restore his city to what he calls its “former glory.”