Follow the Money

District 4 voters deserve to know who is trying to buy influence in our neighborhood election. Recent reporting by Mission Local shows outside spending in our supervisorial race has reached unprecedented levels. This isn’t just about campaign advertising; it’s about a high-stakes clash of interests attempting to dictate the future of our community.

Appointed D-4 Supervisor Alan Wong has benefited from roughly $540,000 in overall backing. This includes more than $306,000 from GrowSF, a PAC focused on pushing high-density housing throughout every San Francisco neighborhood, fueled largely by a $250,000 contribution from billionaire Michael Moritz. Additionally, SF Believes – a group consistently aligned with a pro-corporate agenda –has put forward $213,000, largely aided by WhatsApp billionaire Jan Koum, a known pro-Donald Trump donor. These are not just donations; they are investments in a specific, top-down vision for San Francisco that often bypasses neighborhood consensus.

Natalie Gee and David Lee have outside support as well, but from vastly different corners. Gee’s $300,000 in support through Affordable SF Now represents traditional labor interests – the teachers, healthcare workers and city employees who view this race as a battle for the City’s working class. Meanwhile, David Lee’s $121,000 from Asian Americans for Representation signals a push for increased political leverage for the Chinese-American community, focusing on representation rather than a purely corporate agenda.

In sharp contrast, candidates Albert Chow and Jeremy Greco are not supported by any PAC spending, relying instead on grassroots engagement.

When I sponsored Proposition F (Sunlight on Dark Money) in 2019, which passed with a resounding 77% of the vote, it was for exactly this moment. The goal was to peel back the curtain on PACs with innocuous names like “SF Believes” so voters could see the billionaire fingerprints underneath. Without these disclosures, the Sunset would be flying blind against the increasing surge of outside capital. I also authored legislation to strengthen public financing so ordinary San Franciscans – not just the wealthy and well-connected – could run competitive campaigns.

These reforms were meant to protect neighborhood democracy. But they only work if voters pay attention.

The Sunset is a neighborhood of families, small businesses and hardworking residents. It is not a laboratory for billionaire social engineering or a prize to be won by the highest bidder. Our representatives should be decided by Sunset residents, not billionaire-funded PACs and outside political machines.

Gordon Mar is a former District 4 Supervisor.