San Francisco Mayor Lurie Hits 74% Approval in Political Comeback
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie has achieved a 74 percent approval rating, according to a San Francisco Chronicle poll conducted in late April and early May 2026, cementing what analysts describe as a remarkable political comeback for a city long defined by progressive governance and pandemic-era struggles. The survey of 1,077 registered voters found Lurie’s approval essentially unchanged from a July 2025 poll that showed 73 percent support, indicating sustained voter confidence in the moderate Democrat’s leadership.
A Shift to the Center
Lurie, a moderate Democrat and heir to the Levi Strauss fortune who assumed office on January 8, 2025, has overseen a dramatic shift in San Francisco’s political trajectory. According to Fox News, voters are “continuing to embrace the political center, signaling a vibe shift in a city long defined by its ultra-progressive policies.” The report drew on a Politico analysis that described Lurie’s growing “political machine” and the city’s pivot to the center.
Pollster Jonathan Brown, president of Sextant Strategies & Research, noted that “voters were optimistic when Mayor Lurie took office, and they are feeling largely as though their faith is being paid off with improvements of their perception of life in San Francisco.”
Tangible Results on the Ground
Lurie’s approval is backed by measurable improvements in key quality-of-life metrics. On downtown revitalization, 71 percent of respondents approve of his performance, up from 63 percent in 2025. Neighborhood cleanliness ratings rose to 67 percent approval, a significant jump from 59 percent the previous year. Even on persistent challenges like homelessness, Lurie’s approval ticked up to 48 percent from 44 percent, while affordable housing — his weakest area — rose modestly to 39 percent from 36 percent.
The positive trend reflects a broader media narrative shift. David Latterman, a former San Francisco political consultant, observed that “the media narrative coming out of the city for a few years was really bad, and it got picked up on and it fed back into the city. It has now flipped.”
June 2026 Primary Victory
Lurie’s political strength was on full display in the June 2026 primary election. His aligned candidates — Alan Wong in District 4 and Stephen Sherrill in District 2 — won by wide margins. Proposition A, an earthquake bond backed by Lurie, passed with over 75 percent of the vote. Meanwhile, Proposition D, a union-backed “Overpaid CEO Tax” that Lurie opposed, was rejected by more than 55 percent of voters.
According to Wikipedia, Lurie was the first candidate elected mayor of San Francisco with no government experience since 1911, defeating incumbent London Breed in November 2024 with 56 percent of the vote after 14 rounds of ranked-choice voting.
The Political Machine
Behind Lurie’s success is a well-funded political operation. Politico reported that Believe in SF, a nonprofit advocacy group supporting the mayor, raised nearly $1.8 million to back his favored candidates and ballot measures. Neighbors for a Better San Francisco, a business- and tech-backed organization, spent $10 million to defeat the corporate tax hike and keep progressives out of power.
Lurie himself contributed more than $8 million of his own money to his 2024 campaign, with his mother Mimi Haas adding an additional $1 million to an independent committee. Total campaign fundraising exceeded $16 million.
Challenges Ahead
Despite his popularity, Lurie faces persistent vulnerabilities. Voter turnout in the June primary was just 46 percent, compared to 86.3 percent in the 2020 general election, raising questions about whether his support would hold in a high-turnout contest. Homelessness and housing affordability remain his weakest areas, with approval ratings of 48 percent and 39 percent respectively.
Critics, including progressive Supervisor Dean Preston, have accused Lurie of waging “pure class war” with proposals like cutting a city tax on large real estate transactions. Mission Local columnist Joe Eskenazi captured the moment succinctly, writing that “we’re living in Daniel Lurie’s America” — a sentiment echoed by a losing strategist who sighed the same phrase after the June primary.
What to Watch
Lurie’s “Clean Up City Hall” charter reforms and “Stronger Muni for All” funding measure are expected to appear on the November 2026 ballot. Whether his sky-high approval can translate into continued electoral success — and whether the progressive movement can regroup to present a viable alternative — will define the next chapter of San Francisco’s political transformation.
As Lurie himself put it: “San Franciscans are seeing real progress on the streets, in our neighborhoods, and downtown — and they want us to keep going. Now we have to clean up the broken system that has stood in the way of accountability and results for too long.”