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This weekend, San Francisco will be center stage of California’s Democratic Party, as the CADEM Convention comes to town, with the oh-so-subtle rallying cry of “Big Dem Energy (opens in new tab).”
But don’t expect major fireworks or fist fighting to break out on the floor of the Moscone Center. That’s because the party’s main fights this year — in particular, over the governor’s contest and competing ballot measures regarding a billionaire tax — have a long way to go before they’re resolved.
Between the flowing kegs at beer-hall schmoozefests and clinking silverware of schmancy galas, soft power is the name of the game at this 5,000-person convention. On Saturday, gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer is hosting a “California you can afford” lounge with food, games, and “a chance to share ideas and be a part of making change happen.” The labor union SEIU-UHW will seek support for its measure at a “California Billionaire Tax reception” to “take a break and learn how we can stop the California healthcare collapse.”
State Sen. Scott Wiener — who is guaranteed to win support for his congressional primary, after a pre-endorsement vote — will host a Sunset Dunes walking tour (opens in new tab) on Friday. Not every candidate can make a big draw like that, so they have to get scrappy. Patrick Wolff, a San Franciscan (and occasional SF Standard contributor) running for insurance commissioner against fellow local Jane Kim (opens in new tab), among others, is challenging convention-goers to one-minute games of speed chess.
“We’ll just throw down a board and a table,” said his campaign consultant Jay Cheng. If you win, he’ll pay your homeowner or rental insurance for a month. Just watch out – Wolff’s a grand master (opens in new tab).
What won’t be decided is the frontrunner for governor. California Democratic Party Vice Chair David Campos, a former San Francisco supervisor, said it’s unlikely that any candidate will meet the 60% threshold of support needed to trigger an endorsement vote.
“There are too many candidates,” Campos said, and it’s “too divided.” — J.F.R.
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MORE TROUBLE FOR BEYA: During the quiet weeks of December, news popped up that short-lived Supervisor Isabella “Beya” Alcaraz was being sued by her landlord over about $9,500 in unpaid rent.
But another lawsuit, filed Feb. 9, could lead to more problems for Alcaraz, who resigned from her post in November after The Standard and other news organizations published concerning tales of her time as owner of The Animal Connection. The landlord of the pet shop, Janet Siniora, is seeking $400,000 in damages, claiming that Alcaraz is on the hook for allowing a rodent infestation.
“The continued infestation has resulted in extensive damage to the premises,” the lawsuit states. The lawsuit also names Julia Baran, who took over The Animal Connection from Alcaraz and exposed the former supervisor’s business practices.
Siniora and Alcaraz declined to comment. Baran, who still operates the business on Irving Street, disputed parts of the lawsuit, including Siniora’s assertion that she is trespassing, since the landlord has accepted rent from her since June 2025. Baran said she spent months cleaning out the pet shop and has video evidence to prove it. — G.G.
THORN IN HIS SIDE: Wherever Supervisor Stephen Sherrill turns, there it is: a printout of the California Post’s dishy Feb. 2 story (opens in new tab), claiming that former Mayor London Breed appointed himonly so she could cozy up to former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg for a job.
First, the story appeared as a poster held by a detractor outside Sherrill’s campaign office the day after the news ran, under the heading “Tired of corruption, stop the quid pro quo.” Then it turned up at a debate against his challenger, community organizer Lori Brooke, in the form of flyers by the dozen reading “OUR SUPERVISOR IS CORRUPT, DON’T LET BREED + SHERRILL’S CORRUPTION CONTINUE.” (And yes, whoever crafted these flyers and posters sure do love their capslock key).
That same day, an email parodying Sherrill, sent to reporters, rattled off the accusations in the Post story, adding, “But that overwhelming evidence should not lead voters to conclude I am in this job because of blatant, inexcusable corruption. That is a hurtful, entirely accurate thing to say.”
It’s tough to tell how much of a toll the nepotism accusation will take on Sherrill’s campaign. He has raked in hundreds of thousands of dollars (and Brooke nearly has too) and has won the backing of ever-popular Mayor Daniel Lurie. Plus, the lack of on-record sourcing — and the fact that Breed never landed a job from Bloomberg — blunts the story’s impact. It’s also not entirely clear who is behind the accusation’s spread.
“While District 2 voters seem concerned about the alleged quid-pro-quo corruption, our campaign is not creating and distributing these flyers or writing fake press releases; we are focused on winning votes for Lori,” said Jamie Hughes, Brooke’s campaign consultant.
In a statement, Sherrill said, “It seems like one or two people who are resentful are trying to make a fuss. I have no reason to believe there was any foul play – it was a difficult and thorough vetting process.” — J.F.R.
ICYMI:
THEATER WOES: San Francisco’s theaters are facing a crisis. While attendance has declined, production costs have gone up.
MILLIONAIRES GALORE: A new report shows an “egregious shortage of inventory” among the city’s housing stock, which could be tied to the AI boom.
PROTEST HIGHWAY: The coolest party in town is a protest on an East Bay freeway overpass. Berkeley’s I-80 pedestrian bridge is where you can find activists with glow sticks and inflatable costumes protesting ICE.