San Francisco Mayor Links City's Troubles to Progressive Values
Daniel Lurie, a moderate Democrat, argues San Francisco became 'entrapped' and lost focus on essential governance.
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie stated that the city has strayed from its core principles, becoming "entrapped in our progressive values" and losing focus on essential governance and public safety.
"We lost our way as a city. We were focused on the wrong things, and today we're focused on common sense. We're focused on good governance. We're focused on delivering results for the people of San Francisco," Lurie said in an interview with CNN. He identified public safety and the mental health and drug crisis as his top priorities.
Lurie, a moderate Democrat and heir to the Levi Strauss fortune who was elected in 2024, argued that an excessive focus on progressive ideals overshadowed the realities on the streets. He pointed to the city's high overdose death rate, with 810 deaths three years prior, and 30,000 car break-ins, stating that such figures are not progressive.
"We had 810 people die of overdose in San Francisco three years ago. There's nothing progressive about that. There's nothing progressive about 30,000 car break-ins," Lurie said. He noted that car break-ins have since dropped by 90%.
When asked to define progressivism, Lurie affirmed his support for values such as caring for immigrants and the LGBTQ+ community. However, he expressed concern that an interpretation of progressivism had led to a tolerance for public drug use and theft from small businesses. "In my mind, that's not progressive. There's nothing progressive about small businesses having to shutter up because they're a victim of crime over and over again," he stated.
Former President Donald Trump previously praised Lurie in March for his efforts to improve San Francisco since taking office, acknowledging him as a Democrat "trying very hard."
Democratic strategist Kaivan Shroff commented that Lurie's critique reflects a broader sentiment, even among some progressives, who feel that certain factions within the left have become overly focused on internal politics at the expense of practical governance. "Progressive policies are increasingly popular across the country, particularly on economic issues in these hard economic times. But there is also a sense that the DSA left can’t get out of its own way and can never be satisfied," Shroff said.