San Francisco Democratic Party Chairwoman Nancy Tung is attempting to rebrand the state party to appeal to more moderate voters as the national party flounders without clear leadership.
“There’s a reckoning to be had,” Tung told Politico. “We need to stop pretending like everything is OK. Part of it is that we see a lack of leadership on the national level.”
Historically, Republicans have deemed San Francisco Democratic leadership as out of touch with the middle class, as they have focused on liberal policies allowing open-air drug use and protection for illegal immigrants. During the 2024 presidential cycle, Vice President JD Vance characterized Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) as a “San Francisco-style liberal” despite Walz being from the Midwest.
However, during last year’s election, San Francisco voters elected Mayor Daniel Lurie, a moderate Democrat who defeated incumbent London Breed. Lurie has made moves to reduce illicit drug use and beef up the police department to make downtown San Francisco safer for visitors.
”We need to staff up SFPD,” Lurie told ABC7 News. “That is a top priority, and we had the largest recruitment class in eight years in January. We have more coming, but we need to do more.”
Tung told Politico that a top priority for the San Francisco Democratic Party is ensuring the city’s police department is operating at full capacity.
In 2023, downtown San Francisco lost more than a dozen retail stores as they struggled with rampant shoplifters and people engaging in illicit drug abuse openly in the surrounding area.
While Breed directed law enforcement crackdowns against open-air drug use and increased the number of police patrols, she failed to win over voters as the city’s crime rates soared during her tenure. However, crime rates began to decline near the end of her term as mayor.
Tung said the state party is also seeking to cut burdensome building regulations in the housing sector, as the city, which is one of the most expensive to live in, struggles with homelessness.
In 2024, the city reported more than 8,320 homeless people, with more than half of these people living on the streets.
Last year, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of giving local governments the authority to prohibit people from creating makeshift shelters on public property.
Lurie announced the launch of an 18-month pilot program that would provide legal services, employment, and financial assistance to San Franciscans struggling with homelessness.
Tung also shared that San Francisco Democrats are seeking to implement age restrictions on elected officials, which likely will upset the city’s 85-year-old Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).
However, the policy directive came in direct response to former President Joe Biden, who dropped out of the election in July due to concerns of cognitive decline following his disastrous debate performance.
DANIEL LURIE MAKES PROGRESS ON CRIME AND TOURISM IN SAN FRANCISCO DURING FIRST 100 DAYS IN OFFICE
The national Democratic Party has lacked clearly defined leadership since President Donald Trump won the White House.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Tung’s office for comment.