“Daniel Lurie Takes Office: San Francisco’s Comeback Starts Now!”
Hours before taking the oath as San Francisco’s 46th mayor, Daniel Lurie began his day with a symbolic gesture: walking through the Tenderloin district alongside the city’s police chief and handing out coffee at a homeless community center. The nonprofit leader and Levi Strauss family heir, who won the November election by appealing to voters frustrated by homelessness, public drug use, and street crime, aimed to signal his commitment to addressing the city’s challenges head-on.
In his inaugural address outside City Hall, Lurie declared, “This is where our comeback begins,” speaking to a crowd that included his wife Becca Prowda, their children Taya, 13, and Sawyer, 10, outgoing Mayor London Breed, and a host of local and state leaders.
Lurie urged residents to join him in ushering in “a new era of accountability, service, and change” to restore San Francisco’s status as a global leader. A moderate Democrat and political newcomer, Lurie defied expectations to defeat Breed and other City Hall veterans by positioning himself as a reformer capable of leading the city out of its post-pandemic struggles. His victory came in an election widely seen as a referendum on the city’s pressing issues, including homelessness and street crime, which have fueled fears of a “doom loop” in the downtown core.
Now, Lurie faces the formidable task of transforming his campaign promises into meaningful recovery for the city he has vowed to revitalize.
Daniel Lurie began his term as San Francisco’s 46th mayor with a bold commitment to tackling the city’s most pressing challenges. His campaign, powered by promises to eliminate open-air drug markets, arrest fentanyl dealers, and push homeless individuals into treatment programs, resonated with voters frustrated by years of public safety and economic decline.
Lurie, a nonprofit leader and heir to the Levi Strauss family fortune, used his personal wealth to fuel his campaign, contributing nearly $9 million of his own funds, with an additional $1 million from his mother, Miriam Haas. His message focused on recovery and reform, appealing to a city grappling with homelessness, public drug use, and a struggling downtown economy following the pandemic.
In his inaugural address, Lurie laid out an ambitious vision, calling for San Francisco to reclaim its values of safety, inclusion, and accountability. “Nothing about tolerance and inclusion means allowing 8,000 people to experience homelessness on our streets,” he said. “Public drug use and witnessing people in crisis have eroded our sense of decency and security.”
At the forefront of his agenda is declaring a fentanyl state of emergency, a move aimed at cutting through bureaucratic delays to address the opioid crisis. He plans to embed more behavioral health specialists in first-responder units, open a 24/7 treatment center as an alternative to jail, and expand a program offering homeless individuals transportation to their home communities.
Despite a projected $876 million budget deficit, Lurie promised not to cut frontline positions, including police officers, EMTs, and nurses. Police Chief Bill Scott expressed optimism about Lurie’s commitment to around-the-clock resources and continued efforts to clear tent encampments, which have been a major concern for residents.
Lurie’s inauguration comes as San Francisco shows signs of progress. Fatal overdoses decreased by nearly 23% in 2024, attributed to widespread availability of naloxone and addiction treatment medications. Crime rates also dropped, with car break-ins down 54%, property crime down 31%, and violent crime down 14%, according to outgoing Mayor London Breed’s administration.
While Lurie avoided partisan rhetoric, he acknowledged a broader sense of fear about the nation’s direction. He emphasized the need for San Francisco to remain a city where everyone feels safe and valued, warning that lasting change will require tough decisions and consistency.
“Hope is alive and well in San Francisco,” Lurie said. “If we have vision and courage, this city will rise to new heights.”
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.