Shift Toward Moderation in San Francisco: Bilal Mahmood Ousts Incumbent Dean Preston in District 5 Supervisor Race

San Francisco’s District 5 supervisor race saw incumbent Dean Preston conceding his seat to tech entrepreneur Bilal Mahmood, reflecting a citywide trend toward moderate leadership in the 2024 elections. Preston, a self-described democratic socialist who won the seat in 2019 and was re-elected in 2020, has built his political identity as a staunch advocate for tenants’ rights and proposed policies like safe-injection sites to combat the opioid crisis. “I’ve spent a lifetime fighting for underdogs, often against the odds,” Preston wrote in a recent Instagram post, “I wouldn’t change a minute of it. We can’t win every battle, but we’ll continue the fight,” as reported by

Mission Local

.

In contrast, Mahmood, who is relatively new to the district and moved there in 2023, campaigned to increase the city’s housing stock and strengthen the police force. His approach resonated with voters as he maintained a lead when ranked-choice selections were counted, despite Preston’s earlier optimism about progressive votes making a difference. According to

Mission Local

, a statement from Preston during a point where the initial results were close was, “The initial drop is always the least progressive,” and “That’s a great first drop for us, and very encouraging.” Yet, the votes failed to trend in his favor subsequently.

The District 5 race was notably the most costly in the city, with more than $1.5 million raised between the candidates, including public financing. Mahmood’s priorities in office will be to build low-income, middle-income, and market-rate housing and reduce bureaucracy and red tape to do so more quickly; he has also voiced his support for using a combination of law enforcement and treatment to address the city’s fentanyl crisis as stated by

The San Francisco Standard

.

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