Leno and Sanchez Spurred by Recent Gains

by Randy Shaw, 2008-02-19

While attention was focused on Obama and Clinton, the campaigns of Mark Leno and Mark Sanchez advanced last week in their respective races for State Senate and District 9 Supervisor. Leno secured the unexpected endorsement of Mayor Gavin Newsom, while his campaign was also encouraged by Joe Nation’s entry into the race and reports that incumbent Carole Migden is having trouble raising money. Sanchez, currently President of the School Board, became the first Supervisor candidate in 2008 to collect enough private donations to qualify for public funds. Both Leno and Sanchez are benefiting from the “big tent” political approach that Barack Obama has used to successfully woo independents and even Republicans. These candidates are not content rounding up the usual suspects, and instead seek to expand their political base. Matt Gonzalez used this approach in his 2003 mayor’s race, and other Green elected officials like Ross Mirkarimi, John Rizzo and Jane Kim have done likewise, collectively creating a real opportunity for San Francisco progressives to transcend political sectarianism to achieve a broader progressive majority.

Newsom Backs Leno:

Mayor Gavin Newsom’s endorsement last week of Mark Leno’s State Senate candidacy was quite unexpected. The two men are not particularly close, and Newsom has typically been reluctant to endorse any candidate that he did not appoint to office.

But its clear from the context of the endorsement -- an event commemorating the 4th anniversary of Newsom’s issuing of marriage licenses to same-sex couples for the first time -- that the Mayor greatly appreciates Leno’s statewide leadership on marriage equality.

Newsom’s endorsement helps Leno in three important ways.

First, it will likely reduce the amount of resources that Don Perata and other State Senators invest on Migden’s behalf, since few Sacramento politicians want to risk alienating San Francisco’s Mayor over this race.

Second, Newsom’s endorsement will likely compound Migden’s fundraising problems, while encouraging those who might have stayed out of the race to back Leno.

Third, the endorsement shows Leno’s continued ability to attract diverse support, a key factor in his Assembly success and a quality that would bring him similar success as a State Senator.

While some will argue that Newsom’s endorsement shows that Leno is not a “true” progressive, this is precisely the type of argument used against Barack Obama when he began publicly courting independents and Republicans. It took a while for some to realize that Obama’s ability to expand his base beyond the usual suspects was a great plus. The same argument applies to Leno, whose Assembly voting record is among the most progressive in the state.

Migden’s Problems Grow:

Prior to Newsom’s endorsement of her chief opponent, Carole Migden revealed that she had less cash on hand than Leno, and that $125,000 of the $127,000 she has available has been transferred to a newly created “Carole Migden Legal Defense Fund.” This is the Fund set up to defend her against an ongoing investigation by theFair Political Practices Commission.

Migden’s cash-flow problems -- she made a $40,300 personal loan to her campaign in November — will be even worsened by Joe Nation’s entry into the race. Organized labor strongly opposes Nation, and is now likely to feel obligated to choose between Leno and Migden -- both politically and financially -- to ensure Nation’s defeat. Given Leno’s lead in fundraising, and his securing Newsom’s endorsement, unions will likely back off from Migden and support Leno either publicly or behind the scenes.

Mark Sanchez Secures Public Funds:

The District 9 Supervisor’s race is not until November, but Mark Sanchez has already qualified for public funds for the contest. The Ethics Commission certified on February 13 that he had received qualifying contributions totaling $5,000 from at least 75 residents of the City, thus making him eligible to receive public funds. Sanchez will receive an initial public grant of $10,000, and can receive up to $87,500 under San Francisco’s public financing law.

Sanchez’s support reflects a strategy to reach out to diverse constituencies, using a local model used by his strong supporter, Matt Gonzalez. A good example of Sanchez’s approach occurred last fall, when Mark Leno heard false rumors circulating that he had already agreed to endorse one of Sanchez’s opponents in the race.

Leno met with Sanchez, and after the meeting the incumbent School Board President decided to endorse Leno. Sanchez made this endorsement despite charges among some progressives that Leno was not the most “left” candidate, preferring, as Matt Gonzalez has done, to make his own assessment of who was the best candidate in the race.

The Greens “Big Tent” Approach:

Following Hillary Clinton’s victory in California, Mayor Newsom compared the Clinton-Obama race to his 2003 mayoral contest against Matt Gonzalez. He noted how the candidate generating the most excitement did not get the most votes, not mentioning his 7-1 spending edge in that 2003 race.

Newsom is correct to see this parallel, but what is most striking about both races is how the more progressive candidate secured the most diverse support. In thinking about Gonzalez’s success in this regard, it became clear that this approach has become a staple of San Francisco’s Green Party elected officials.

Gonzalez was backed by such prominent “unusual” suspects as Walter Wong, the Residential Builders Association, and Mara Kopp -- the wife of conservative former Supervisor and State Senator Quentin Kopp. People and groups backed Gonzalez not because they agreed with him on most or even many issues; rather, they knew he would always give their views consideration and they trusted his integrity.

Often forgotten is that, prior to his granting marriage licenses to gay couples, Newsom’s political base was nowhere near as diverse as Gonzalez’s. In fact, Gonzalez and Obama both benefited greatly by expanding the boundaries of the conventional progressive base.

Mirkarimi, Kim and Rizzo:

District 5 Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi has also followed the “big tent” approach. Mirkarimi has not only maintained much of Gonzalez’s non-traditional support, but he has expanded his district base to neighborhood activists and small business owners who were not closely aligned with Matt.

Mirkarimi has been so successful at supporting progressive policies while broadening his base that few may realize that he faces re-election this fall. The silence about his race in the once heavily contested district reflects his maintaining such broad support both locally and citywide as to avoid serious election opposition.

Fellow Green Jane Kim won election to the School Board in 2006 after appealing to many young people who had never previously been involved in politics. The people at her events -- like those now turning out for Obama -- were not the people typically seen at “progressive” events.

Although Kim is a staunch progressive, her willingness to seek non-traditional support won her the endorsement of the more conservative Asian Week. Kim was the top vote-getter in District 4, whose same voters elected ultra-conservative Ed Jew to the Board of Supervisors. Kim’s ability to secure votes outside the traditional progressive base explains why many see her future political prospects as bright.

Green Party member John Rizzo tried to do something near impossible in that same November 2006 election: unseat an incumbent Community College Board member. Name recognition is key in these contests, and Rizzo had little.

But Rizzo took no votes for granted, and went everywhere seeking support. The result was a victory that took weeks to confirm, but it again showed how Green Party candidates are avoiding progressive sectarianism and instead reaching out to expand the progressive base.

Progressives across the nation have increasingly backed Obama’s strategy of seeking non-traditional support, and the wisdom of expanding this approach in San Francisco is clear. It is no coincidence that Sanchez, Mirkarimi, and Kim all publicly endorsed Barack Obama for the presidency.

Editor's Note: An early version of this piece mistakenly linked Carole Migden's legal defense fund to still unfiled reckless driving charges, rather than to an FPPC investigation. We regret the error.