Elections and Voting

Paul Ryan's Take on Marijuana: Worthless or Desperate?

Scooping up votes in swing states is how Paul Ryan serves Mitt Romney best. And what better dissatisfied liberal bloc for the Republicans to court than marijuana supporters, stunned by President Obama's total betrayal?Hence the vice presidential candidate's stance in a college town in swinging Color ... More >>

More Foreclosures in a Community Means Lower Voter Turnout, Says Study

History will eventually figure out the social implications of the foreclosure crisis -- its longterm effect on the wealth gap between minorities and white people, its role in gentrification, whether it permanently alters the popular conception of the America Dream, etc.Some early returns are in. A s ... More >>

Prop. 8 Might Not Go Before the Supreme Court

​Earlier this month, the debate over same-sex marriage in California continued what some have speculated is an inexorable march to the U.S. Supreme Court, when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld a decision striking down Proposition 8, the state's gay-marriage ban.Yet a story pu ... More >>

Adachi Campaign Alleges Lee Door Hangers Violate Campaign Finance Law

Ed Lee​Interim Mayor Ed Lee is facing new allegations of wrongdoing on the eve of the election, capping a slew of ethical complaints that has dogged his campaign this fall.Public Defender and mayoral contender Jeff Adachi says he filed a complaint with the San Francisco Ethics Commission this morn ... More >>

State Election Monitors to Observe S.F. Voting Tomorrow

It's never a good sign when the state has to intervene​The California Secretary of State is sending election observers to oversee poll workers and voters as they cast their vote starting tomorrow morning. State officials would not confirm how many election monitors would be in San Francisco, but s ... More >>

Supervisor John Avalos Invites You to a Very Merry Unbirthday

Best party City Hall has hosted in some time ​Supervisor John Avalos has been taking heat over his controversial ballot measure that would ban the city's Rec and Park Department from leasing out park properties for private parties -- including birthday bashes of all sorts. But to show that he isn' ... More >>

Gay Couples to Stage City Hall Sit-In to Celebrate Valentine's Day

Love hurts​For many San Francisco gay couples, Valentine's Day is just a bitter reminder of what they don't have -- marriage certificates. So expect a huge turnout at San Francisco City Hall for the hallmark holiday today; gay couples across the nation will celebrate their love with a little civil ... More >>

Marijuana Roundup: The Year In Pot

​How was your 2010? For the cannabis community, it was a wild flip of the calendar, with dispensaries opening and closing, police raiding, a medical cannabis luminary thrown in jail for meth charges -- and we vaguely remember something about a legalization ballot measure. There's still time y ... More >>

Supes Races Too Close to Call

Four supes-to-be will be 'crowned' on Friday, leading to a memorable weekend. Their identities are not so clear. ​It's going to be a hell of a weekend for a quartet of San Franciscans. While the vast majority of San Francisco votes have been counted, late absentees and others will keep the city fr ... More >>

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.

How the Tea Party Is Screwing Over Republicans

Tea Party candidate Christine O'Donnell: "I'm not a witch"A new Harris Poll indicates that Democrats are gaining ground ahead of the November mid-term elections, and that the assortment of right-wing extremists who call themselves the "Tea Party" have something to do with this last-minute success.

Berkeley, Oakland, San Leandro Debut Ranked-Choice Voting After Judge Upholds S.F. System

​In the wake of a federal court ruling that upheld San Francisco's system of ranked-choice voting, three East Bay cities are moving ahead with plans to adopt "RCV" in this fall's elections.Oakland, Berkeley, and San Leandro will be using the balloting system -- which allows voters to cast up to th ... More >>

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 >>

Dennis Herrera, Running for Mayor, to Farm Out City Attorney Cases

Dennis Herrera doesn't want to hear your legalistic questions about the mayoral race...​City Attorney Dennis "He's Running For Mayor!" Herrera last week announced that, yes, he's running for mayor. Less publicized was a memorandum Herrera sent around the city announcing he plans on recusing both h ... More >>

Prop. 8 Ruling: Literature and Strategy

​UPDATE: APPEAL FILED THIS MORNINGThe multitudes who took to the streets yesterday to either celebrate or denigrate Judge Vaughn Walker's ruling overturning Prop. 8 in many ways resembled the millions of tipplers worldwide who lift a glass on Bloomsday -- but would never dream of reading Ulysses. ... More >>

Prop. 8 Overturned: Gay Marriage On Hold Pending Stay

Oh, happy day...​READ THE ENTIRE RULING HERENO SAME-SEX MARRIAGES TODAY, SAYS SUPERVISOR BEVAN DUFTYFRIDAY HEARING WILL DETERMINE IF STAY ON SAME-SEX MARRIAGE IS LIFTED -- THOUGH DECISION MAY NOT BE MADE AT THAT TIME. SEE COURT PAPERS HERE: Temporary stay.pdfCHECK BACK FOR FREQUENT UPDATESAs many ... More >>

Going, Going, Gavin: What's Next For Newsom, City, State?

​ It's unlikely anyone has ever publicly announced he's taking a job so he can spend less time with his family. But countless folks turning in their resignation letters have chalked up the decision to jump ship to a desire to spend more time with the fam. Gavin Newsom joined that lengthy list ... More >>

Owner of the Warfield pushes billboard ballot measure

Where Does S.F. Department of Elections Get Those Wonderful Pictures For Voter Pamphlets? Would You Believe -- Flickr?

​Thousands upon thousands of San Franciscans were greeted by Voter Information Pamphlets in their mail boxes this week. And yet -- as always -- the dread of a pending election featuring confusing ballot measures, the oft-bizarre arguments expended for and against them, and a handful of unopposed c ... More >>

The Wrong Stuff

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

Local Dems' Prop. 8 War Chest Hits $245,000, Still Growing. When Will It Be Spent?

These lads may have a nice dowry by 2012​Despite a prominent pro-gay-marriage group's suggestion that activists wait until 2012 to try to repeal Proposition 8, San Francisco's Democratic County Central Committee is moving full steam ahead with fund-raising efforts for the campaign. In fact, the DC ... More >>

What’s in David Chiu’s political baggage?

Video: Nader's Back!

Snapshot: Guerilla Postering

Poll suggests runoff likely in judicial race

Gonzalez/Nader Hysteria

They're actually out to stop spoiler candidates.

Election Night in the Mission - Nobody Even Mentioned Edwards

Chicken John Contemplates Run for Supervisor

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

The Bayview Battler

More than ready to take on politicians and redevelopers, Willie Ratcliff is in the most important fight of his life.

Tilting at Political Windmills

Some people, like attorney Paul Melbostad, just don't know when to quit. Bully for him.

Death and Taxis

Why can't Hattie Neelon get to a funeral? Well, have you ever tried to get a cab in S.F.?

South to the Future

Fox to Air Presidential Pageant 2000

A Republican by Any Other Name

GOP candidate sniffs out chances in district elections

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

Breaking Ranks

Union leaders endorsed Willie Brown, but the rank and file has other ideas

South to the Future

Rubber-stamp Voting Complicates Mayoral Ballot Count in San Francisco

Booty Call

Wherein a handful of politicos, a party that's trying not to be a laughingstock, and the singer in a '70s disco cover band unite to rewrite San Francisco politics or try to, anyway

Cothran

La Nueva Fuerza

With attacks on immigration and affirmative action, the GOP has fueled a new Latino political apparatus. But can the Democrats master the machinery?

Quota Quandary

As Proposition 209 seeks an end to affirmative action by state institutions, minority groups are conflicted

What's Your Preference?

S.F. voters may really get a choice

Randy Shaw's Power Plays

Sixteen years ago, Randy Shaw started a housing clinic with $50 and a good idea: educating tenants. Now he's got more than $900,000 a year to spend -- and clout to match.

Paper Trails

How to Lie, Cheat, and Steal Your Way to Influence at City Hall -- Legally

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

Paper Trails

Paper Trails

Dog Bites