On the evening of Sept. 12, the Monterey Heights Neighborhood Association hosted a public debate including three San Francisco mayoral candidates at Riordan’s Lindland Theatre with Mark Farrell, Daniel Lurie, and Ahsha Safaí.

In this debate they discussed topics including homelessness, public safety, drug abuse, and more, all topics currently dominating conversation abouts the city’s future.

One notable absence from this debate was from current San Francisco Mayor London Breed, who is facing growing criticism from San Francisco residents.

Kieran O’Sullivan ’25, who attended the debate, said, “I thought the fact that Mayor Breed didn’t even show up was kind of shameful, but at the same time I think all three of them had some good commentary.”

In the debate, all three candidates presented their different visions for how to tackle San Francisco’s most prominent challenges. 

However, they often struggled to differentiate themselves from each other, agreeing on each other’s stances and even sharing similar plans for when they take office.

Mark Farrell, who had briefly served as an interim mayor in 2018, honed in on his previous experience and how he could positively manage our city economically. 

He proposed plans such as: increasing police department funding and making public safety a huge priority. He also honed in on his family-oriented background, beginning his first remarks identifying his family in the crowd and relating them to many of the points he later discussed.

Farrell said, “I want to be the most proactive mayor in our city’s history for our public school families.”

Daniel Lurie emphasized his background working in nonprofits, heavily emphasizing more community-driven solutions to homelessness in San Francisco, and also wanting to focus on mental health support for those suffering from drug abuse.

Lurie said, “If someone disagrees with me 80 percent of the time I am going to find that 20 percent and make sure that we pave our roads, that our public schools are well funded, and that we get more affordable housing built in this city.”

Ahsha Safaí, a current city planner and supervisor, focused on his immigrant background and also his years of on ground experience in public works. 

He discussed his plans for the street crisis in wanting to create stricter consequences for drug-related crimes.

Safaí said, “I’m running for mayor to make sure that all San Franciscans are represented, not just the rich. Got to make sure that working and middle-class families have a voice in the city.”

Outside the theater, groups of supporters lined the sidewalk along Frida Kahlo Way and gave backing to their candidates. 

With Breed’s absence, voters in attendance may have to base their decision on what they already know about the mayor and her time in office.

In an email to The Crusader, Breed said, “San Francisco is seeing progress. I will not ease up on this work until every person in San Francisco feels safe.”

The candidates have sought to differentiate themselves from each other via increasingly dirty attacks, most often between Farrell and Lurie. Farrell accuses Lurie of inexperience and Lurie accuses Farrell of corruption.

Aaron Peskin, President of the Board of Supervisors is also running for mayor. His focus is on addressing the city’s most pressing issues, including homelessness, housing affordability, and public safety.

As a prominent voice on the Board of Supervisors,  Peskin has built a reputation for tackling urban challenges and advocating for environmental sustainability. 

Ultimately, the debate was informative in showing where many of the candidates stand to better the city.