4 months ago
SAN FRANCISCO — Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has endorsed San Francisco Supervisor Dean Preston, a progressive lightning rod, arsenic he faces a reliable reelection situation successful a section title that has drawn nan attraction of different nationalist figures from Elon Musk to Bernie Sanders.
The endorsement comes arsenic Preston, a personnel of nan Democratic Socialists of America, has faced an onslaught of attacks from governmental defense groups, bankrolled by tech investors, who are captious of his guidance to tough-on-crime policies. Those groups are spending heavy to backmost Bilal Mahmood, a mean Democrat, tech entrepreneur and erstwhile Obama management staffer.
Last fall, Preston gained nationalist attraction aft billionaire provocateur Musk called for his imprisonment for supporting an ordinance to prohibit information guards from utilizing firearms to forestall theft. Musk besides suggested he would walk $100,000 to conclusion Preston. It’s unclear if he has spent immoderate money connected nan race.
Pelosi’s campy exclusively confirmed to POLITICO that she has endorsed Preston and will ballot for him Wednesday night, erstwhile nan County Democratic Party’s cardinal committee makes its picks successful section races. San Francisco’s supervisors are balanced to metropolis assembly members, shaping section argumentation and nan budget. The station has agelong been a launching pad for nan state’s governmental up-and-comers who’ve risen to greater prominence, including nan precocious Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Gov. Gavin Newsom and authorities Sen. Scott Wiener.
“This is simply a powerful endorsement from 1 of San Francisco’s astir powerful leaders, and I look guardant to moving pinch Speaker Emerita Pelosi successful our agreed effort to conclusion Donald Trump,” Preston said successful a statement.
Preston represents a profoundly wide territory that includes nan Haight Ashbury, Fillmore, Japantown, Hayes Valley and Tenderloin neighborhoods. His different opponents successful nan November predetermination see activists Autumn Looijen and Allen Jones.
Pelosi, mostly a mean Democrat by San Francisco standards, has a agelong shape of endorsing incumbents from some nan party’s much progressive and centrist wings.
It’s a balancing enactment Pelosi has continued moreover arsenic moderate-backed candidates person swept a big of section races by seizing connected voters’ frustrations complete bum encampments, grounds supplier overdose deaths and rampant unit theft. Mahmood — Preston’s main challenger — is portion of a slate of mean Democrats who precocious won power of nan region party.
Nevertheless, Pelosi’s endorsement is simply a stinging rebuke for mean groups who’ve spent heavy to effort to conclusion Preston and support Mahmood.
The supervisor’s title could supply a bellwether for governmental observers watching if San Francisco’s pivot to nan right continues. In nan March primary, voters passed respective tough-on-crime measures, including a proposal to require supplier screening for section use recipients.
Mahmood has disavowed Musk and said he hasn’t received immoderate money from him successful nan race. He has tried to represent himself arsenic a much pragmatic Democrat.
Musk, who recently vowed to move immoderate of his companies’ operations retired of San Francisco, posted connected X past autumn that Preston “should spell to prison.”
Preston has called Musk a “billionaire fascist” and vowed to nary longer usage X, nan billionaire’s institution formerly known arsenic Twitter. Soon after, Vermont Sen. Sanders, a chap Democratic socialist, endorsed Preston and urged progressives crossed nan state to support him.
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