San Francisco mayoral election, 2003

San Francisco mayoral election, 2003
San Francisco
November 4 and December 9, 2003

 
Candidate Gavin Newsom Matt Gonzalez
Party Democratic Green
Popular vote 87,196 (Nov. 4)
133,546 (Dec. 9)
40,714 (Nov. 4)
119,329 (Dec. 9)
Percentage 41.92% (Nov. 4)
52.81% (Dec. 9)
19.57% (Nov. 4)
47.19% (Dec. 9)

Electoral results by supervisorial district

Mayor before election

Willie Brown
Democratic

Elected Mayor

Gavin Newsom
Democratic

The 2003 San Francisco mayoral election occurred on November 4, 2003. The incumbent, Willie Brown, was termed out of office and could not seek a third term. The general election included three top candidates including then Supervisor Gavin Newsom and then President of the Board of Supervisors, Matt Gonzalez and former Supervisor Angela Alioto. No candidate received the required majority so the race went into a run-off of the two top candidates, which were Gavin Newsom and Matt Gonzalez. The run-off occurred on December 9, 2003 where Gavin Newsom was elected mayor of San Francisco.

Municipal elections in California are officially non-partisan, though most candidates in San Francisco do receive funding and support from various political parties.

In 2003, then-Supervisor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, ran in a large field of challengers, including Board of Supervisors President Matt Gonzalez, Supervisor Tom Ammiano, former Supervisor Angela Alioto, city Treasurer Susan Leal, and former Police Chief Tony Ribera. Newsom and Gonzalez took first and second place, respectively, but neither won a majority, so the two advanced to a runoff election. The election gained international attention,[1] and third party advocates saw it as a chance to dethrone the Democratic Party.[2]

Newsom ran as a moderate against leftist/progressive Gonzalez, a member of the Green Party. It was the first mayoral election in San Francisco that a Green Party candidate took a noticeable amount of the vote. Had he won, Gonzalez would have been the most prominent elected Green Party member in the United States. The election was close, with Gonzalez leading in the polls and winning the popular vote among ballots cast on election day, while Newsom had a larger lead on absentee ballots.

Results

San Francisco mayoral election, 2003[3][4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Gavin Newsom 87,196 41.92
Green Matt Gonzalez 40,714 19.57
Democratic Angela Alioto 33,446 16.08
Democratic Tom Ammiano 21,452 10.31
Democratic Susan Leal 17,641 8.48
Republican Tony Ribera 5,015 2.41
Libertarian Michael F. Denny 925 0.44
Independent Roger E. Schulke 735 0.36
Independent Jim Reid 733 0.35
Write-in 131 0.06
Total votes 208,028 100.00
Runoff election
Democratic Gavin Newsom 133,546 52.81
Green Matt Gonzalez 119,329 47.19
Total votes 252,875 100.00

References

  1. "Democrat wins key US mayoral race". BBC News. December 10, 2003.
  2. http://www.counterpunch.org/anderson12062003.html
  3. "City and County of San Francisco Consolidated Municipal Election Results - November 4, 2003". City and County of San Francisco Department of Elections. November 14, 2003. Retrieved February 16, 2009.
  4. "City and County of San Francisco Municipal Run-Off Election Results - December 9, 2003". City and County of San Francisco Department of Elections. December 15, 2003. Retrieved February 16, 2009.
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