Thursday, April 4, 2024

London Breed gets her foil

Inside the Golden State political arena
Apr 04, 2024 View in browser
 
POLITICO California Playbook

By Dustin Gardiner and Lara Korte

San Francisco Mayor London Breed, right, walks with Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin to a news conference to address sea level rise along the city's waterfront in San Francisco, Friday, Jan. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

San Francisco Mayor London Breed, right, walks with Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin to a news conference. | AP

THE BUZZ: FULL HOUSE — Aaron Peskin is jumping into the crowded race for San Francisco mayor — and allies of incumbent Mayor London Breed couldn't be happier about it.

Peskin, who’s been at odds with real estate developers as the president of the Board of Supervisors, is Breed’s polar opposite on housing policy. The two Democrats couldn’t be more different in terms of how they view San Francisco’s housing affordability problems and how City Hall should respond to them.

Angst over the city's astronomically high housing costs has animated many middle-aged and younger professionals who see construction as a way to make San Francisco more affordable — and Breed's backers say the issue could save her in a tough November reelection battle amid plummeting approval ratings.

Breed has aligned herself with pro-housing groups that want to make it easier and faster to build housing just about anywhere, while Peskin is one of the movement’s chief antagonists. He regularly talks about protecting neighborhood character and keeping developers in check.

Peskin, who confirmed to Playbook on Wednesday night that he’s running, is likely to draw heavy criticism from groups that have largely aligned with Breed.

The progressive candidate’s entrance into the race gives Breed a strong distinction to run on, especially considering her other major rivals in the race — Mark Farrell, a former interim mayor and city supervisor, and Daniel Lurie, a nonprofit executive and Levi Strauss heir — are, like Breed, centrist. The three have proposed competing plans to increase law enforcement presence and force people into addiction treatment.

Todd David, political director for Abundant SF, a centrist advocacy group funded heavily by tech investors, predicted that housing will now be the No. 1 issue in the race. His group is already backing Breed.

“It’s a true contrast, it’s two very different points of view,” David said, adding that Peskin has a “no-growth” philosophy. “Having stable housing is still the top challenge to living in San Francisco.”

The median rent is still among the most expensive in the nation, despite a pandemic-era dip in prices. Two-bedroom apartments typically rent for around $4,000 a month.

Peskin said he will push back against Breed and her YIMBY (Yes in My Back Yard) allies who’ve created “this false dichotomy” that city leaders must choose between housing construction and supporting growth that respects the city’s historic and architectural beauty.

“I have always believed that you can grow this city without ruining it. You can be both pro-housing and pro-neighborhood,” Peskin said. “She has embraced a pretty radical, fringe element that doesn’t believe in zoning.”

Breed’s campaign also leaned into the housing contrast Wednesday, peppering Peskin with a series of “Terminator” references in a statement. Spokesperson Joe Arellano added that Peskin winning “would mean ‘hasta la vista, baby’ for our local economy, our housing, and our city’s future.”

Peskin’s entry comes soon after the Board of Supervisors voted to overturn a veto from Breed on his proposal to reimpose building-height restrictions along a stretch of waterfront — likely a harbinger of the citywide housing debate to come.

Peskin said the ordinance closes an accidental loophole that would have allowed “supersize massive luxury towers” in a few historic areas of his district.

YIMBY groups and Breed were livid over the revived density restrictions. Except to hear all about the spat through November.

GOOD MORNING. Happy Thursday. Thanks for waking up with Playbook.

Now you can text us at ‪916-562-0685‬‪ — save it as “CA Playbook” in your contacts now. Or drop us a line at lkorte@politico.com and dgardiner@politico.com, or on X — @DustinGardiner and @Lara_Korte.

WHERE’S GAVIN? In Merced County with Bureau of Reclamation officials this afternoon highlighting solar over canal projects.

 

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ELECTION UPDATES

Assemblyman Evan Low.

Assemblymember Evan Low. | Phillip Faraone/Getty Images | Getty Images

ALL TIED UP — Just when you thought it couldn’t get any weirder, Evan Low and Joe Simitian on Wednesday tied for second place in CA-16, each ending the day with exactly 30,429 votes and setting up the extremely rare possibility of a three-way contest in November.

Today is the final day for vote certification, and both Santa Clara and San Mateo counties have signaled they have no ballots left to count. Unless something changes by the end of the day today, the tie will be considered the official result.

As Political Data Inc. VP Paul Mitchell noted, this would be the first time California experiences a three-person general election since the state implemented a top-two system 12 years ago.

“This is the first time we've had a tie trigger this kind of arcane part of the law,” Mitchell told us.

There’s still the possibility for a recount, but we have yet to see anyone request one. As a reminder, recounts can get pricey — fast. Santa Clara County estimates a hand count could take 10 days and cost $32,000 per day.

Remember, anyone can request a recount, not just the candidates. So if you know of a chaos agent who’s prepared to spend a few hundred thousand dollars for some clarity, tell us about it.

 

Get critical policy news and analysis inside New York State. Use our Legislative Tracker to see what’s on the Albany agenda. POLITICO Pro. Inside New York. Learn more.

 
 
CLIMATE AND ENERGY

COUNTING CARBS: About California's new first-in-the-nation corporate emissions disclosure law: It turns out the state's main climate agency proposed amendments last year that author Sen. Scott Wiener said would "gut" it. Read last night's California Climate for the next turn of the screw.

ON THE AGENDA

FLOOR SESH — The Senate and the Assembly convene at 9 a.m. today.

TOP TALKERS

— Hollywood celebrities are scared of deepfakes. One talent agency is using AI to fight them. (Los Angeles Times)

— San Francisco has helped only a handful of people so far through California's CARE Court program. (San Francisco Chronicle)

— California’s most controversial housing law could get a makeover. (CalMatters)

AROUND THE STATE

— Google is set to purge 'private' Incognito mode user records, but will keep snooping. (Mercury News)

— Environmental groups are suing the federal government over its decision to grant $1 billion to sustain Diablo Canyon, California's last nuclear power plant. (Associated Press)

— Trial opens in first 'antifa' conspiracy case arising from Pacific Beach political protest. (The San Diego Union-Tribune)

— Sheriff’s deputies shot and killed an armed teen with mental health issues in Southern California. (Associated Press)

— Police say a Central Valley poultry plant is unsafe after second death in a year (The Fresno Bee)

PLAYBOOKERS

MEDIA MOVES — POLITICO’s Lawrence Ukenye graduated from reporting fellow to labor and employment reporter. Ukenye was an editorial intern at the company before joining the fellowship last year.

— Jaweed Kaleem is joining the Los Angeles Times’ education team after over eight years as a correspondent there.

— Brittny Mejia has moved into the federal courts beat at the LAT, and has spent the majority of her nearly ten years at the paper covering immigration and race.

— Colleen Shalby is taking on a new role covering transportation for the LA Times. Shalby started her Times career as engagement editor in 2015 before switching to reporting in 2019.

BIRTHDAYS  — Teddy Himler Bruce Wolpe … NYT’s Jo Becker … (was Wednesday): Bradley Artson ... Paul Koretz

CALIFORNIA POLICY IS ALWAYS CHANGING: Know your next move. From Sacramento to Silicon Valley, POLITICO California Pro provides policy professionals with the in-depth reporting and tools they need to get ahead of policy trends and political developments shaping the Golden State. To learn more about the exclusive insight and analysis this subscriber-only service offers, click here.

Want to make an impact? POLITICO California has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Golden State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you’re promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness amongst this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com.

 

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POLITICO California @politicoca

 

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