Gonzalez for Mayor

Gonzalez for Mayor

Matt Gonzalez, San Francisco’s Green candidate for mayor, is trying to put an end to the forty-year grip the Democrats have held over the city’s electoral politics and become the nation’s most pr

Facebook
Twitter
Email
Flipboard
Pocket

Matt Gonzalez, San Francisco’s Green candidate for mayor, is trying to put an end to the forty-year grip the Democrats have held over the city’s electoral politics and become the nation’s most prominent elected Green. Gonzalez finished second in last month’s general election, qualifying him for the runoff on December 9.

Gonzalez, president of San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors and a former Democrat (he went Green three years ago), has mobilized a progressive coalition of artists and community activists in a grassroots effort to defeat the well-connected, well-funded and wealthy Democrat, Gavin Newsom.

Newsom, a liberal (by current Democratic Party standards) city supervisor who was practically handpicked by current Mayor Willie Brown, rose to prominence on his popular, compassionate conservative-like ballot initiative, “Care Not Cash,” which reduced the amount of financial support homeless San Franciscans can receive. The initiative was eventually thrown out by a judge and sent back to the Board of Supervisors.

Gonzalez, an advocate for tenant’s rights and environmental protection, and the sponsor of the recently passed initiative to raise San Francisco’s minimum wage to $8.50 an hour, has called the race an “ideological battle for the city” against an opponent who “always favors the money interests.” Though outspent by more than 13 to 1 by Newsom thus far, Gonzalez’s campaign has gained steam largely through a flurry of small-scale neighborhood “house parties” (they’ve planned for 100 in thirty days) and cultural events to raise money and mobilize volunteers. Some recent polls show Gonzalez with a slight edge, which has San Francisco’s Democratic establishment seeing red.

The Democratic Party appears desperate to stop Gonzalez and his progressive coalition, calling on prominent Democrats like Al Gore to make appearances in support of Newsom. While such high-profile Democrats as Supervisor Tom Ammiano, who finished fourth in the general election, former San Francisco Mayor Art Agnos and actor Martin Sheen have endorsed Gonzalez, defying pressure from the party establishment, more have succumbed.

The Green vs. Democrat theme is not likely to go away, and many within the Gonzalez camp are happy to play it up. But that’s not the only story. Just 3 percent of the city’s registered voters are Greens. Gonzalez is drawing support from Democrats who aren’t voting for him because he’s Green, but because he’s a better democrat. That’s a lesson the whole Democratic Party can learn from.

Can we count on you?

In the coming election, the fate of our democracy and fundamental civil rights are on the ballot. The conservative architects of Project 2025 are scheming to institutionalize Donald Trump’s authoritarian vision across all levels of government if he should win.

We’ve already seen events that fill us with both dread and cautious optimism—throughout it all, The Nation has been a bulwark against misinformation and an advocate for bold, principled perspectives. Our dedicated writers have sat down with Kamala Harris and Bernie Sanders for interviews, unpacked the shallow right-wing populist appeals of J.D. Vance, and debated the pathway for a Democratic victory in November.

Stories like these and the one you just read are vital at this critical juncture in our country’s history. Now more than ever, we need clear-eyed and deeply reported independent journalism to make sense of the headlines and sort fact from fiction. Donate today and join our 160-year legacy of speaking truth to power and uplifting the voices of grassroots advocates.

Throughout 2024 and what is likely the defining election of our lifetimes, we need your support to continue publishing the insightful journalism you rely on.

Thank you,
The Editors of The Nation

Ad Policy
x