San Franciscans elected philanthropist and Levi Strauss heir Daniel Lurie as mayor of San Francisco on Nov. 7, 2024, ushering in a new era of city politics. In July, Lurie had a 73% approval rating among San Franciscans.

In an April 2024 interview with The Urban Legend, Lurie discussed how his campaign focused on city government accountability by increasing public safety and addressing the drug and mental health crises. 

“Public safety is my number-one priority. … The second thing is the drug and mental health crisis on our streets,” Lurie said. “We gotta believe in our city again — we gotta have hope.”

A large part of Lurie’s campaign was centered around being a newcomer to politics. In the 2024 mayoral election, Lurie was the only candidate without prior experience in City Hall, either as mayor or on the Board of Supervisors. 

“He framed himself as an outsider when he was elected to City Hall,” said Joe Eskenazi, managing editor and columnist for Mission Local, in an interview with The Urban Legend. 

To some San Franciscans, Lurie’s outsider status was a drawback. “I interned at the District Five Supervisor’s office this past summer, and I was in a couple of meetings with Lurie,” Eva Spero ’26 said. “When he was running, I had this preconception of, ‘I don’t appreciate when businesspeople get involved in politics, because I feel like it’s a misuse of their power.’”

Lurie’s reputation has improved among San Franciscans, with his approval rating rising to 73% in July, increasing from 51% in Oct. 2024.  “I think that he’s disproved my preconception,” Spero said. “Even if he is an outsider, I think that change is what San Francisco needed.”

One of the central challenges Lurie faces is rebuilding San Francisco’s downtown sector after the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, businesses struggled. “I think [Lurie’s] doing a really good job supporting local businesses and encouraging people to go out and re-enter communities,” Jack Kotas ’26 said.

COVID-19 also marked a surge in homelessness. Since Lurie took office, homelessness has remained stagnant according to city inflow and outflow rates. However, while the total number of unhoused residents has not sharply declined, certain visible indicators have shifted. In April 2025, the number of tents and structures was at 222, the lowest tally since officials began publicly keeping track in April 2019. 

Some San Franciscans criticize Lurie’s approach to decreasing homelessness. “Cleaning up the streets has become a buzzword at this point that politicians throw around,” Ian Sprouls ’26 said. “Lurie dehumanizes [unhoused people] and views the cleaning up of the streets as less of a humanitarian crisis and more of just sweeping trash off the street.”

On the policy front, Lurie’s campaign promised to provide 1,500 new shelter beds in the span of six months. In July, Lurie abandoned his plan, saying his vow was “a slip-up”. “You deserve praise for changing course and admitting that,” Eskenazi said. “But you [also] deserve grief for having an idea that was, obviously, not a great idea.” 

Lurie’s momentum stalled again in November when his appointee for the District 4 supervisor seat, Beya Alcaraz, resigned just one week after swearing in. Choosing the political newcomer to replace former Supervisor Joel Engardio, who lost his job in a recall election this fall, stunned City Hall.

Alcaraz came under scrutiny after reports resurfaced about the mismanagement of her former Sunset District pet store — including unpaid rent, rodent infestations, and leaked text messages revealing that she paid employees under the table and wrote off personal expenses as business deductions. 

As revelations mounted, Lurie asked for her resignation. “In Supervisor Alcaraz, I saw someone with deep roots in the Sunset who cares deeply about healing a divided community,” Lurie said in a statement. “I admire her commitment and willingness to raise her hand to serve, just as much as I respect her decision to step aside in the best interest of her neighborhood. I regret that I didn’t do more to make sure she could succeed.”

Amid the Alcaraz controversy, some San Franciscans see Lurie’s visibility as refreshing, especially compared to former Mayor London Breed. “I never really saw London Breed in public,” Kotas said. “Lurie’s out there talking to business owners and engaging with people. He’s trying to bring people together.”

For some San Franciscans, Lurie’s likability only goes so far. “Nobody doubts his sincerity,” Eskenazi said. “He’s a really nice guy, and that can only get you so far — but it’s a welcome change.”

Lurie’s daily vlogs have ranged from going to local coffee shops, to meeting the popular social media influencer IShowSpeed to attending the fall Bruce-Mahoney football game between St. Ignatius and Sacred Heart Cathedral. “I follow him on Instagram, so I see his videos quite often,” Spero said. “It’s a really great way for him to be able to connect with the younger generation, which mayors have definitely failed to do in the past.”

Beyond social media, Lurie’s wealth and connections have shaped his leadership. “The National Guard made it very clear that the billionaires are basically calling the shots now,” Eskenazi said. “We’re in a tenuous place when what the billionaires think about the atmosphere determines city policy.”

Lurie came into the national spotlight when he responded to President Donald Trump’s brief deployment of the National Guard troops to the city. “I said to [Trump] that we are at 70-year lows when it comes to violent crimes,” Lurie said in a press conference on Oct. 23. “Tent encampments are at record lows. I spoke about more office space being leased than vacated. For the first time, retail is back. Hotel bookings are up 50%. Convention bookings are also up 50%. This is a city on the rise.”

Much of Lurie’s campaign and actions are rooted in his connection to San Francisco, where he was born and raised. In the April 2024 Urban Legend interview, Lurie said he originally started his campaign to help San Francisco.

“I’m running because I’ve always loved this town,” he said. “I’ve always been proud to call San Francisco my home.”