Here’s How Much Money San Francisco Mayoral Candidates Have Raised This Year

Candidates vying to be San Francisco’s next mayor are collectively raking in millions from everyday voters to Silicon Valley billionaires, according to campaign finance disclosures released Thursday.

This year’s mayoral race is already shaping up to be one of the city’s most expensive in terms of total dollars raised and spent. As the candidates’ financing profiles come into focus leading up to November, some focus on big-money donors while others are banking on a wider base of small donations.

Take nonprofit founder Daniel Lurie, whose campaign raised more than $894,000 from January to June, records show. Lurie, also an heir to the Levi Strauss fortune, also invested $590,000 of his own money into the campaign, bringing the total from the reporting period to more than $1.4 million.

The financial disclosures reported this week only represent direct contributions, which are limited to $500 per individual. Other sources of funding include public financing for candidates who qualify and political action committee contributions.

“This campaign is fueled by the support of thousands of donors who believe in our message of accountable leadership and share my vision for a safer, more affordable and inclusive San Francisco,” Lurie said in a statement. “We are building a citywide movement to bring a culture of accountability to City Hall and tackle our biggest challenges.”

So far, Lurie is the only candidate to not accept matching public financing, a move he said would save taxpayers $1.2 million.

Meanwhile, Mark Farrell, a former supervisor and interim mayor, raked in $654,000 over the same six-month period. Farrell has not yet received public matching funds, but his campaign said he will accept the money and is anticipating about $1.2 million through the program.

“We are taking nothing for granted,” Jade Tu, Farrell’s campaign manager, said in a statement. “We are laser-focused on talking directly to as many voters as possible between now and Election Day about our plans and vision to deliver real change and a better life for all of San Francisco’s families.”

Farrell, a moderate Democrat, has taken heat for accepting donations from major Republican donors like Tom Coates and William Oberndorf. He has also come under increasing scrutiny for allegations of skirting campaign finance limits, like recently using a ballot measure committee backed by the moderate political group TogetherSF Action to bring in donations over the $500 limit on individual contributions.

Lurie and Farrell traded barbs over fundraising on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The campaign behind Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin, who entered the race in April, raised nearly $469,000 by June 30. His campaign has already received $300,000 in matching public financing and anticipates that it will grow to $937,000 after approvals by the San Francisco Ethics Commission, bringing his total to about $1.5 million.

Peskin decried his opponents’ wealthy backers.

“We raised more money per day than any of the other candidates and qualified for public financing faster than any of the other candidates,” Peskin said. “We aren’t going to outspend the billionaire and their hand-picked candidates, but we have enough money to be competitive and win.”

Mayor London Breed raised nearly $304,000 during the first six months of 2024 from more individual donors than any of her opponents. Donors include Donna Brazile, the former Democratic National Committee chairwoman, and fashion designer Tory Burch. The incumbent mayor also received $743,100 in public financing in the period.

Breed took a swing at her competitors when celebrating her fundraising achievements on Thursday.

“While my opponents embrace and endorse the GOP’s narrative of our city, I continue to be San Francisco’s biggest champion and defender. I will not stand for attacks on our city and our rights, whether they’re from Mark Farrell, Donald Trump or Project 2025,” Breed said in a statement. “I will earn my right to a second term instead of trying to buy the office like Daniel Lurie. My mom donated $150 to my campaign, while Lurie’s mother donated $1 million to his.”

Finally, Supervisor Ahsha Safaí raised around $158,000 in the first half of the year and has qualified for more than $466,000 in public financing since entering the race last year.