Mayor challenges opponent to name three drag queens in city.

During the San Francisco mayoral debate, tensions rose as Democrat Mayor London Breed confronted her challenger, Mark Farrell, about his LGBTQ+ support. Breed challenged Farrell to name three LGBTQ advisers and three drag queens, but Farrell only revealed that two of his staff members are part of the “queer community.” Despite not answering Breed’s question directly, Farrell emphasized his track record of supporting the LGBTQ+ community in San Francisco.

Farrell’s history of advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community includes authoring legislation that protected same-sex couples employed by the city from federal taxation on their healthcare benefits before same-sex marriage was legalized. He expressed pride in the support he has received from the queer community in San Francisco and remained steadfast in his commitment to their continued support.

Another Democratic mayoral candidate, Daniel Lurie, redirected the spotlight to Breed by asking her to name three nonprofits she had closed due to poor performance. Breed declined to provide specific examples on the spot, citing the need for further reflection before sharing that information.

Breed, who faces multiple challengers in her bid for re-election, was elected in 2018 and currently oversees a city that has been ranked as the second-to-last “worst run” city in the U.S. according to a WalletHub report. However, criticisms of the ranking have been raised, as the study compares San Francisco’s combined city and county budget with other cities’ city-only budgets, potentially skewing the results.

A survey conducted by the San Francisco Chronicle in February revealed that a significant portion of likely Asian voters – 80% – expressed dissatisfaction with Breed’s performance. In comparison, each of her two challengers garnered 17% support, while Breed herself received only a 10% approval rating.