There’s some striking polling circulating about the District 8 race and Manny Yekutiel, who dropped out Thursday after The Standard published additional allegations of sexual assault against him, leaving Gary McCoy as the presumed front-runner.
“If Manny Yekutiel were to resume his campaign, where would you rank him on your ballot, if at all?” was one of the poll’s questions. Another: “Mayor Lurie, as well as several members of the Board of Supervisors and other elected officials, withdrew their endorsements of Manny Yekutiel after the latest allegations against him. Knowing this, where would you rank Manny Yekutiel on your ballot, if at all?”
Who’s behind it? Power Play can confirm the poll is the work of GrowSF, a well-resourced moderate group allied with Mayor Daniel Lurie. GrowSF’s spokesperson, Max Szabo, who also serves as the mayor’s political consultant, confirmed the poll’s provenance.
“We’re not backing any candidate in District 8, but we want to understand where voters are at after such a substantial shake-up,” said GrowSF Director Steven Bacio in a statement. “Gary McCoy was trailing by over 30 points, he doesn’t get to crown himself supervisor — the voters get to decide whose vision should represent the district.” (In addition to Lurie and others, GrowSF pulled its endorsement of Yekutiel.)
The poll raises major questions: Would Yekutiel consider reentering the contest? Could he win despite the allegations, given that he’s still on the ballot? Is anyone still supporting him? And what does it mean for McCoy, who, until recently, appeared to be trailing Yekutiel?
Yekutiel, who has denied the assault allegations, did not respond to a request for comment, and his spokesperson said the campaign’s status remains firmly suspended.
Catie Stewart, McCoy’s campaign spokesperson, stopped short of ringing the “shame (opens in new tab)” bell for GrowSF, but just barely.
“If GrowSF wants to light money on fire in support of someone who’s been credibly accused of sexual assault by three people, that’s their right,” she said. “But voters at the doors and in the neighborhood — including every single former Manny voter we speak to — are no longer voting for him. Our campaign, and the voters of District 8, have been crystal clear that we believe and stand with survivors.”
An earlier poll hints at why GrowSF is testing the waters: When the group called and texted District 8 residents Aug. 8-13, Yekutiel was leading with a blockbuster 47%. McCoy polled at 15%, patent attorney Michael Nguyen at 12%, and former DoorDash staffer Darshini Patel at 2%. Notably, that poll was conducted about six weeks after the first assault allegation against Yekutiel, brought by Brad Joseph Chapin, and was upfront about the claim.
So will GrowSF’s newest poll show support for Yekutiel staying strong?
If it does, there’s a fair chance that generational attitudes in the gay community may be behind that support. In an editorial for progressive outlet 48 Hills (opens in new tab), editor Marke B. wrote that “yes, groping can be sexual assault — even for gay men.” But the reason he wrote it in the first place was the outpouring of sentiment he heard at the Folsom and Castro Street Fairs dismissing the sexual assault claims as a “generational thing.”
So if young gay men tend to view groping as assault, and older gay men are less inclined to, Power Play would posit: Who are the most likely voters in nonpresidential elections? The answer: older voters.
Meaning that, crazy as it sounds, Yekutiel may still have a shot. — Gabriel Greschler and Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez
ELECTION SPEND: In just the last two weeks, the PAC bankrolled by billionaire Chris Larsen has spent more than $100,000 in the District 10 race supporting Theo Ellington.
About two-thirds was for Facebook ads — mainly videos featuring community members praising Ellington, including Cedric Akbar, a Democratic Party member, and Tyra Fennell, a community advocate and former London Breed staffer.
The Ellington-aligned PAC has 14 active Facebook ads, all purchased in the last week. It also ran a few print ads in newspapers.
The PAC received a $500,000 donation from Larsen in early September and an additional $40,000 from him last week. Larsen has put millions of dollars this election year toward Lurie’s political causes.
Ellington is endorsed by Lurie and is an ally to the mayor’s vision for San Francisco. — Omar Rashad
CAT GOT BECERRA’S TONGUE: Democrat Xavier Becerra, the front-runner for governor, took questions from reporters during a campaign event this week in San Francisco. It was a rare moment for the former Health and Human Services secretary, who has taken flak from Republican opponent Steve Hilton for avoiding the press. (Hilton recently accused him of going into “hiding” after the June primary.)
But even when Becerra makes time to speak with journalists, his answers aren’t revealing much about his campaign strategy or how he’s preparing to govern. Highlights from his SF stop:
Does he support Gov. Gavin Newsom calling a legislative special session over AI’s safety risks? “l’ll be ready on Day One, regardless of what things look like, regardless of what gets done between now … and Jan. 4, 2027. We’re going to have to tackle this. I’m not sure how much would or would not be done during a special session, but if the governor and the legislators are ready to go, let’s tackle this.”
Has he spoken to Newsom about a possible special session? “It’s been a little while since I spoke to him about this.”
What’s his reaction to Hilton’s spicy new ad (opens in new tab) (which is laden with sexual innuendo and drew criticism from all sides)? “Do you need me to respond to any of that?” — Dustin Gardiner
FRIENDS LIKE THESE: Well, a press conference to support embattled SF Democratic Party Chair Nancy Tung seems to have been a bust.
The presser, scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday at Hong Kong Lounge on Geary Boulevard, was ostensibly meant to show support for Tung after Supervisor Connie Chan and others called for her to resign. The outcry follows controversy over the party’s Flock Safety resolution vote and the public apology Tung gave for endorsing Yekutiel despite Chapin’s sexual assault claim.
At 11 a.m., a rumor started to swirl that the press conference was canceled. But no one connected to it confirmed the cancellation — all feigned ignorance.
Ultimately, the only people who showed up for Tung at Hong Kong Lounge were protesters — seven of them, including City Hall legislative aide Natalie Gee (with her adorable baby in tow) and Democratic Party Regional Chair Hene Kelly, a progressive union activist who has worked with the party for nearly five decades (opens in new tab).
“I have worked with Nancy Tung for a long time trying to get her to help Democrats here,” Kelly said, “but she doesn’t care about the people in San Francisco; she cares about herself. She cares about people with money.”
So were the Dems scared off by a handful of prog rabble-rousers? Tung said she didn’t know about the presser, and no one else Power Play reached would talk. Only the restaurant itself confirmed that the party of 20 for 1 p.m. had canceled.
One thing is certain: If and when Tung runs for district attorney (opens in new tab) again — which has long been rumored as her motivation for chairing the party — the controversies of recent months will resurface. — J.F.R.
PELOSI’S PLEA TO DEMS: Nancy Pelosi is imploring Democrats in San Francisco and across the country to protest peacefully in the lead-up to the Nov. 3 election. The former House speaker said she doesn’t want her party to give President Donald Trump any excuse to abuse the powers of his office.
“Contain what you’re doing peacefully, because if he has the slightest [hint] of an uproar, he’ll try to [declare] an insurrection,” Pelosi told Power Play. “So let’s be who we are, speak out about what we want. But do it in a way that does not invite his chaos, cruelty, insanity — whatever you call that.” — D.G.