Re-Elect London Breed for San Francisco Mayor
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In the upcoming San Francisco mayoral election, the San Francisco League of Conservation Voters endorses Mayor London Breed. At a time of critical importance to transit, housing, water quality and more, she is the best choice.
Mayor Breed has overseen substantial improvements at Muni during her tenure, even through the COVID-19 pandemic's challenges of reduced ridership and public unease. Under her direction, Muni has achieved historic levels of satisfaction and performance, a remarkable feat. And although Muni operates on a smaller scale post-pandemic, the focus on transit-priority lanes and enhancing service in equity priority neighborhoods has yielded positive outcomes, and the system is showing signs of growth. Despite these successes, Muni is now confronting severe financial difficulties, facing a projected budget deficit of $214 million as early as next July, posing a serious threat that Breed is best-equipped to manage.
Beyond transit, Mayor Breed has supported transformative projects like making JFK Drive a permanent car-free space in Golden Gate Park and advocating for a ballot measure to turn the Great Highway into Ocean Beach Park to enhance the city's western shoreline as well as mitigate the effects of climate change. Mayor Breed has also been instrumental in fully funding the Department of the Environment and its initiatives advancing the City’s Climate Action Plan. Furthermore, as a former Supervisor, Breed was crucial in launching CleanPowerSF, demonstrating her commitment to sustainable energy solutions despite opposition from large corporations like PG&E.
Mayor Breed is also the strongest of the candidates in advocating for more multi-family housing close to transit and in well-resourced neighborhoods that have contributed very little new housing in recent decades.
Additionally, we feel Mayor Breed is the best choice when compared to the other candidates. While the SFLCV acknowledges the past environmental contributions of Supervisor Aaron Peskin, whom we have endorsed several times, we are disappointed in many of his recent decisions, such as opposing the car-free JFK initiative and seeking to hinder SFMTA’s ability to raise parking fees necessary for Muni’s funding. Daniel Lurie, another candidate, has the potential to bring new ideas and personnel to City Hall, yet the League notes a lack of substantial environmental proposals in his campaign.
While Mayor Breed is our unequivocal endorsement choice, there are several areas where we’d like to see her do more:
Mayor Breed should work to reduce the combative and litigious nature of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission's approach to wastewater discharges and its alignment with large agricultural interests in managing the Tuolumne River, which is seen as detrimental to the Bay's health and San Francisco’s fishing economy.
Mayor Breed also has opportunities to reduce the Fire Department’s frequent opposition to street safety and bike lane improvements.
She has the opportunity to lead by ensuring that her SFMTA completes bike lane projects on Arguello, Beach, Oak, Illinois and more with the urgency the climate emergency demands – in months, not years.
Regardless, Mayor Breed’s positive track record of major accomplishments leads the League to conclude that Mayor Breed is the clear environmental choice for San Francisco.