Gary McCoy and Darshini Patel, two candidates for District 8 supervisor, are encouraging their supporters to rank the other candidate second on their ballots. The move could help propel them past their opponents, Manny Yekutiel and Michael Nguyen.<\/p>\n
Under San Francisco\u2019s ranked-choice voting system, the candidate with the lowest number of votes is eliminated, and their votes are redistributed to the candidate ranked next on each ballot. This process repeats until a candidate has over 50 percent of the vote.\u00a0<\/p>\n
An alliance between McCoy and Patel means a high share of the votes for whomever of the two is knocked out first may go to the other, potentially helping that candidate triumph.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In this case, the ranked-choice strategy will likely benefit McCoy, a former aide to Rep. Nancy Pelosi. He and Yekutiel, the owner of a political cafe and event space, are considered the frontrunners in the race \u2014 they\u2019ve raised the most money and have received the most valuable endorsements.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Patel, a former tech worker and presidential campaign staffer, is considered a longshot. But, she has cultivated some grassroots support and is running a canvassing operation to spread her message.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Patel recently received a boost on that front, earning the endorsement of the SF Solidarity Club<\/a>, a new political club with dozens of members that plan to mobilize on her behalf<\/a>. Her background in tech may also help her bring in more moderate voters who may have otherwise ranked Yekutiel second.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cDarshini and I agree: we need a City Hall that gets the basics right by delivering on priorities like housing affordability, safety and support for small businesses,\u201d McCoy said in a statement Friday, announcing the alliance. \u201cWe share so many of the same values, and I appreciate Darshini\u2019s experience solving large and complex problems in the private sector.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGary has a wealth of experience, both from his time working in policy and working in City Hall, and from his own personal experiences, to be able to advocate for District 8 well and serve the needs of the community,\u201d Patel said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Both McCoy and Patel have run YIMBY, progressive campaigns \u2014 an unusual combination in San Francisco. They both oppose<\/a> the San Francisco Police Department\u2019s use of Flock license plate reader cameras<\/a> and also support<\/a> upzoning<\/a> to allow taller buildings, for instance.\u00a0<\/p>\n Yekutiel, meanwhile, has run on a traditional moderate platform, supporting new market-rate housing development, police surveillance and a tough-on-crime approach. Nguyen, a patent attorney and drag queen, has run on a progressive platform \u2014 he opposed the upzoning plan because of concerns about displacement and also opposes San Francisco\u2019s use of Flock cameras.\u00a0<\/p>\n Though Nguyen has joined McCoy and Patel in sharply criticizing Yekutiel at debates<\/a>, he is not planning to join McCoy and Patel\u2019s alliance, according to a McCoy spokesperson.<\/p>\n