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2007 San Francisco mayoral election

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FieldValue
election_name2007 San Francisco mayoral election
countrySan Francisco
typepresidential
ongoingno
previous_election2003 San Francisco mayoral election
previous_year2003
next_election2011 San Francisco mayoral election
next_year2011
election_dateNovember 6, 2007
image1File:Gavin Newsom (1).jpg
image_size150x150px
candidate1**Gavin Newsom**
party1Democratic Party (United States)
popular_vote1**105,596**
percentage1**73.66%**
image2File:Quintin Mecke (1646356056).jpg
candidate2Quintin Mecke
party2Democratic Party (United States)
popular_vote29,076
percentage26.33%
titleMayor
posttitleReelected Mayor
before_electionGavin Newsom
before_partyDemocratic Party (United States)
after_electionGavin Newsom
after_partyDemocratic Party (United States)
image4File:Harold Hoogasian (1646356056).jpg
candidate4Harold Hoogasiancandidate5=Wilma Pangparty4=Republican Party (United States)
image5File:Wilma Pang.png
party5Peace and Freedom Partypopular_vote4=8,400popular_vote5=7,274percentage4=5.86%percentage5=5.07%

The 2007 San Francisco mayoral election occurred on November 6, 2007. Voters elected a Mayor of San Francisco and several local officials. Incumbent Mayor Gavin Newsom was re-elected by an overwhelming margin. There were 12 candidates on the ballot as well as 6 write-ins.

Besides Newsom, other notable candidates included Josh Wolf, a journalist who was jailed for refusing to testify and turn over video evidence to a federal grand jury. Another candidate, "Chicken" John Rinaldi, qualified for public financing of his campaign but ran into procedural difficulties with San Francisco's Election Commission.

It was the first mayoral election in San Francisco history to use instant-runoff voting, also known as ranked-choice voting, so that there would be no need for a run-off, but a majority was reached in the first round and votes were not redistributed. The results of the election were not known for weeks because every ballot had to be hand-counted due to the long-running feud between the Elections Department of San Francisco and the California Secretary of State.

Issues

Many ongoing and emerging issues might have influenced this election, including:

  • Newsom's popularity – Newsom's approval rating remained high throughout his first term.
  • Same-sex marriage – Newsom's 2004 directive permitting the issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples played a key role in garnering wide approval from the largely liberal city.
  • Potholes, infrastructure, deferred maintenance, and the mayor's plans to improve Muni.
  • Keeping the San Francisco 49ers football team within city limits, as the team had threatened to move to a more spacious suburban stadium in Santa Clara County. The move would have created a situation similar to that of the New York Jets and New York Giants, who both play at the MetLife Stadium.
  • The city's high homicide rate had potential to hurt Newsom during the campaign. A national survey gave San Francisco low marks for public safety. Indeed, San Francisco ranked well below both Los Angeles and New York City.
  • Homelessness and transportation issues from previous years remained relevant. Public perception of the mayor's "Care, Not Cash" program (which reduced welfare payments in favor of long-term subsidized housing) likely informed the debate.
  • On February 1, 2007, Newsom admitted to having an affair with his campaign manager's wife, who was working in City Hall. Newsom later apologized about the scandal.

Results

Municipal elections in California are officially non-partisan, though most candidates in San Francisco do receive funding and support from various political parties.

References

References

  1. John Wildermuth, [http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Counting-S-F-ballots-will-take-a-record-amount-3237043.php Counting S.F. ballots will take a record amount of time], ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'', November 7, 2007
  2. [http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2006Oct30/0,4670,CityCrimeListGlance,00.html The Most, Least Dangerous U.S. Cities], ''[[Associated Press]]'', October 30, 2006 {{webarchive. link. (June 24, 2013)
  3. Patrick Hoge, [http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Newsom-apologizes-at-press-conference-2620134.php Newsom apologizes at press conference], ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'', February 1, 2007
  4. (2007-12-07). "City and County of San Francisco Municipal Election November 6, 2007: Election Summary". San Francisco Department of Elections.
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