Election Campaigns

Phil Ting's Assembly Bid Isn't So Boring After All

Of all the do-gooders at San Francisco City Hall (what few are left), County Assessor-Recorder Phil Ting would be the very last person we'd expect to see caught up in nefarious politicking. We're talking about a man who got upstaged by Lenny the Service Dog, a guy who thinks Long Island Iced Teas ar ... More >>

How Obama and Romney Are Presiding Over the Death of the Campaign Song

Last week in Charlotte, Bill Clinton stepped to a podium in front of his party's delegation and delivered a speech. Maybe you saw it? What I remember are words -- lots of words. Some of them wrapped around statistics, others glaring back at me like bumper stickers on chrome. Clinton's words flowed f ... More >>

Jelly Belly, Host of Rick Santorum Rally, Is Sweet on the GOP

​The Jelly Belly factory is a beacon of thriving American manufacturing -- it is also a fine choice for wholesome family outings.And considering how much former President Ronald Reagan loved jelly beans, it also seems like the perfect location for a conservative darling's presidential ca ... More >>

No Disclosures: New Ethics Committee Rules Gag Reporting of Election Funds

Almost Nobody You Know Will Vote For the Next Mayor of San Francisco

Dave Schwartz, "Hero" of Nevada's Pot Movement, to Take Over Michela Alioto-Pier's Mayoral Campaign

Luke ThomasMichela's marijuana man​The days when "gambling" with marijuana on a Las Vegas' Strip could result in lifetime imprisonment are long gone. Reefer now mixes with roulette in the nation's Sin City -- where, it should be noted, one has never needed a medical recommendation to use prostitut ... More >>

Bevan Dufty's Campaign Manager Splits

Bevan is getting a new right-hand man​Bevan Dufty, the former supervisor and mayoral candidate, told SF Weekly that he and his campaign manager, David Feighan, "parted ways" this week. Eager to be mayor, Dufty has already hired a new campaign manager who will start in two weeks.Dufty said there we ... More >>

Dennis Herrera, Leland Yee, Two PR Machines Running for Mayor

Has he ever said 'No comment?'​On a near-daily basis, media outlets including SF Weekly receive a plethora of press releases from elected officials who are also gunning for higher office. The two who are most prolific with press releases are San Francisco's City Attorney Dennis Herrera and State S ... More >>

Bevan Dufty's mayoral bid fizzling just as the race is really getting started.

The Identity Card

Voting by race has made the city's political representation more Asian. It could be what puts 33-year-old Jane Kim on the board of supervisors.

Kamala Harris Kept Felon's Donation While Insisting Opponent Return Tainted Funds

Don't worry Kamala. Tyra still loves you. ​While attorney general candidate Kamala Harris spent the past three weeks denouncing her opponent Steve Cooley for accepting tainted campaign donations, it turns out her campaign kitty contained $1,250 from ex-Democratic moneyman Norman Hsu -- now serving ... More >>

Her House Divided

The most powerful female politician in the country now teeters between long-term victory and instant defeat.

Outspoken Consultant Jack Davis Denies Rumors He's Gunning for Newsom -- Yet

Jack Davis is not donating $1,000 to Gavin Newsom's political warchest. Take it from us. ​Lawyer Jerry Hallisey recently made the mistake of sending an e-mail to Jack Davis, asking the San Francisco mover-and-shaker political consultant if he'd attend a $1,000-a-head fund-raiser for Gavin Newsom's ... More >>

Oops, They Did It Again -- Public Campaign Finance Advocates Bemoan Latest 'Raid'

​Public campaign financing isn't just a political football here in San Francisco -- it's a football so frequently kicked, punted, or otherwise buffeted the laces have come undone. And is there any money to fix it? Don't ask! The latest instance of San Francisco politicos stating they like the idea ... More >>

The Wrong Stuff

Candidate Newsom is “narcissistic,” “thin-skinned,” “disloyal,” and “friendless.” And that’s from his former supporters.

Party Crashers 08

Ralph Nader and running mate Matt Gonzalez are looking to make a difference in the upcoming presidential election. Early polling suggests they just might.

Senate aides ignore leader, don't help Migden

Matt Smith: Leno Accuses Migden of Wrongly Using $1 million

Getting Rich in San Francisco Politics: The Cost of Gavin Newsom's Affair

Stealth Dollars

Questionable political donations are flowing into the city's most controversial political race

Sneaking Into the Flying Circus: How the Media Turn Our Presidential Campaigns Into Freak Shows

Nancy Pelosi's daughter explains how (but not why) running for prez became so miserable

Unbalanced Budgeting

The city's proposed parking-rate increases are a scandal. They aren't nearly large enough.

Follow the Money

Why does Gavin Newsom need a backer like the California Urban Issues Project?

Dead Man Running

"Kucinich is, like, The normal laws of physics don't apply to me.'"

Pumping Irony

Gavin Newsom should look to Sacramento for political inspiration

The Great Left Hope

Matt Gonzalez wants to be mayor. And he doesn't mind climbing over fellow progressives to get the gig.

Kamala's Karma

She's smart, she's experienced, and she's running for DA. But she's Willie Brown's ex-girlfriend, and her opponents are trying to crucify her for that.

Recalling Reagan

In trying to remove Gov. Ronald Reagan from office, liberal activists spawned the Davis recall and a host of other political ills

Whore vs. Bore

Californians have refused public campaign financing, and we've gotten what we deserve: a governor's race between a fund-raising slut and a clueless rich guy

The Last of the Burtons?

They have dominated state and local politics for 50 years. Now, for the first time, the future of their "family business" is in doubt.

Who Is Clint Reilly, Really?

He's running for mayor again, and this time he wants to define himself, before his enemies do it for him

Revenge of the Wimp

Why Miami's Democratic mayor abandoned Al Gore and cost him all the votes he needed to be president

The Revolution is Canceled

How the grand plan for district elections could backfire

This Bud's for John

John McCain's family

An Endowed Chair

Sen. John McCain's push for campaign-finance reform has helped his presidential bid. Donations from special interests haven't hurt, either.

Rage Against the Machine

Tom Ammiano's mayoral bid: inside the campaign that has become a cause

Riff Raff

Cothran

Unspun

The Grid

Unspun

Unspun

Ringmaster Willie

Although Mayor Brown's opening acts have impressed, he's also allowed more than a few rogue elephants under his Big Top. We begin our stampede watch.

Judging Matthew Rothschild

Why is the Democratic Party elite backing an underqualified party operative for the local judiciary?

Making the Democratic Party Safe for Democracy

Reformist Dems pour sand in the machine's money gears

Blowing Smoke, Breathing Fire (Part I)

The Fang family rides tabloid journalism and hardball politics to the winner's circle

Paper Trails

City Slackers

A guide toSan Francisco political corruption -past, present, and future

The Making of the Mayor 1995

In which Jack Davis repents, Clint Reilly froths, Roberta Achtenberg has a vision, Angela Alioto has an attitude, and the voters are the pigeons

The Dark Prince of City Hall

First Larry Bush was a politician. Then he was a journalist. Then he was a politician. So now as editor and publisher of CitiReport, a hard-hitting journal with a private agenda, what the hell is he?