Following the social upheavals of the 1960s,

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

became one of the centers of progressive activism, with Democrats, and

progressives Progressivism holds that it is possible to improve human societies through political action. As a political movement, progressivism seeks to advance the human condition through social reform based on purported advancements in science, techno ...

dominating city politics. This continuing trend is also visible in the results of presidential elections; the last

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

to win San Francisco was Dwight Eisenhower in

1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, Jim Elliot and Pete Fleming, ar ...

. Although the fight between Democrats and Republicans has been unequal for the last forty years, it has become increasingly lopsided, with

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

commentators frequently attacking the city's politics using the '' ad hominem'' phrase, " San Francisco values". In spite of its heavy liberal leanings, San Francisco has the highest percentage of "

no party preference An independent or non-partisan politician is a politician not affiliated with any political party or bureaucratic association. There are numerous reasons why someone may stand for office as an independent. Some politicians have political views th ...

" voters of any California county, as of November, 2012. Campaign corruption is monitored by the San Francisco Ethics Commission and violations result in fines up to $5,000 per violation.

State and federal representation

In the California State Senate, San Francisco is in . In the California State Assembly, it is split between , and . In the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

, San Francisco is split between two congressional districts. Most of the city is in the 12th District, represented by . A sliver in the southwest is part of the 14th District represented by . Pelosi has been the current House Speaker since January 3, 2019, a post she also held from 2007 through 2011. She has also held the post of

House Minority Leader Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives, also known as floor leaders, are congresspeople who coordinate legislative initiatives and serve as the chief spokespersons for their parties on the House floor. These leaders are el ...

, from 2003 to 2007 and 2011 to 2019.

Local politics

The city is governed by a

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

and an 11-member Board of Supervisors, both elected using

preferential voting {{short description, Election systems Preferential voting or preference voting (PV) may refer to different election systems or groups of election systems: * Ranked voting methods, all election methods that involve ranking candidates in order of pr ...

. The current mayor is London Breed.

Housing

Housing is a frequent topic in San Francisco politics. San Francisco has the highest housing prices in the United States. As of 2018, its median house price was $1.61 million, almost twice the average from five years earlier. Many factors contribute to the housing situation in San Francisco. One of the main reasons for this is the lack of available homes to live in. The Bay Area, from 2011 to 2015, only created 1 home for every 8 jobs created. San Francisco has some of the most stringent housing laws in the United States. It ranks 3rd among cities in the United States as the hardest city to build in. It has been estimated by San Francisco's chief economist that in order for prices in San Francisco to stabilize, the city would need around 100,000 units to reduce prices.

Voter registration statistics, 2013

Voter participation statistics

*Total Registration and Turnout **November 6, 2018 ***Registration 500,516 ***Turnout 345,806 **June 5, 2018 ***Registration 481,991 ***Turnout 253,583 **November 8, 2016 ***Registration 513,573 ***Turnout 414,528 ** June 7, 2016 ***Registration 468,238 ***Turnout 264,993 **November 3, 2015 ***Registration 446,828 ***Turnout 203,069 **November 4, 2014 ***Registration 436,019 ***Turnout 231,214 **June 3, 2014 ***Registration 435,757 ***Turnout 129,399 **November 5, 2013 ***Registration 440,037 ***Turnout 128,937 **November 6, 2012 ***Registration 502,841 ***Turnout 364,875 **June 5, 2012 ***Registration 470,668 ***Turnout 145105

Notes

References

External links

* https://sfelections.sfgov.org/ {{Authority control