Mayor of San Francisco facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mayor of the City and County of San Francisco
Flag of San Francisco
Seal of San Francisco
Incumbent Daniel Lurie since January 8, 2025
Government of San Francisco
Style	His Honor Mr. Mayor
Residence	No official residence
Term length	Four years, renewable once
Inaugural holder	John W. Geary
Formation	1850
Website	Office of the Mayor

The mayor of the City and County of San Francisco is like the main leader of the city. They are in charge of the executive branch of the city and county government. This means they make sure city laws are followed.

The mayor can also approve or reject new laws suggested by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Mayors serve for four years and can be elected for two terms in a row. San Francisco is special because it's both a city and a county. So, the mayor leads both parts of the government.

Since 1850, when California became a state, 45 different people have been mayor. Before that, during Spanish and Mexican times, other leaders served. The current mayor is Daniel Lurie.

How Mayors Are Chosen

San Francisco chooses its mayor every four years. To run for mayor, a person must live and be registered to vote in San Francisco. The new mayor usually starts their job on January 8 after the election.

The next election for a full mayoral term will be in 2024. In 2022, voters decided to change when mayoral elections happen. They will now be held at the same time as United States presidential elections. This change was made because more people vote in presidential election years. For example, in 2019, only 42% of voters participated, but in 2020, 86% voted.

In California, city elections are "non-partisan." This means that political parties (like Democratic or Republican) are not listed next to a candidate's name on the ballot. Also, more than one person from the same party can run for mayor.

How Votes Are Counted

Mayoral elections used to use a "two-round system." If no candidate won more than half the votes, the top two candidates would have a second election.

In 2002, San Francisco changed its voting system to "instant-runoff voting," also known as ranked-choice voting. Now, voters can pick their top three favorite candidates in order. If no one gets more than half of the first-place votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is removed. Then, the second-choice votes (and third-choice votes if needed) are counted until one candidate wins a majority. This system saves money because it avoids needing a separate second election. It was first used for the mayoral election in 2007.

Mayor's Job and Powers

The mayor has many important duties. They must make sure all city laws are followed. They also manage and organize different city departments. The mayor helps set the goals and plans for the Board of Supervisors. They also create and present the city's budget each year.

The mayor has the power to approve or reject laws passed by the Board of Supervisors. They can also attend meetings of the Board. If an elected city official's job becomes empty, the mayor can choose someone to fill that spot until a new election. In an emergency, the mayor can direct city workers to help.

What Happens if a Mayor Leaves Office Early

Sometimes, a mayor might leave office before their term ends. This can happen if they resign, become unable to do their job, or pass away. If this happens, the president of the Board of Supervisors becomes the acting mayor. Then, the full Board chooses someone to finish the rest of the mayor's term.

This has happened several times in San Francisco's history. For example, George Moscone died in office, and Dianne Feinstein became mayor. Later, Ed Lee died in office, and London Breed took over before Mark Farrell was chosen as an interim mayor.

Facts About San Francisco Mayors

So far, 44 different people have served as San Francisco mayor. However, there have been 45 mayoral terms because Charles James Brenham served two terms that were not in a row.

The mayor who served the longest was James Rolph. He was mayor for over 18 years! He was very popular and helped San Francisco grow. During his time, the city's transit system expanded, the Civic Center was built, and the city hosted the World's Fair. The shortest term was Charles Boxton, who was mayor for only eight days.

Three mayors have died while in office: James Otis, George Moscone, and Ed Lee.

Dianne Feinstein and London Breed are the only women who have served as mayor. Both became mayor when the previous mayor left office, and then they were also elected by voters. Willie Brown and London Breed are the only African Americans to serve as mayor. Ed Lee was the only Asian American mayor.

Thirteen mayors were born in San Francisco. Four mayors were born in other countries, including Frank McCoppin and P.H. McCarthy from what is now Ireland, Adolph Sutro from Germany, and George Christopher from Greece.

This list does not include people who were only "acting mayors" for a short time when the mayor was out of town.

Images for kids

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  John W. Geary, the first mayor of San Francisco.

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  Charles James Brenham, who served two non-consecutive terms.

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  Stephen Randall Harris.

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  Cornelius Kingsland Garrison.

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  Stephen Palfrey Webb.

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  James Van Ness.

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  George J. Whelan.

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  Ephraim Willard Burr.

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  Henry F. Teschemacher.

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  Henry Perrin Coon.

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  Frank McCoppin.

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  Thomas Henry Selby.

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  William Alvord.

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  James Otis.

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  George Hewston.

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  Andrew Jackson Bryant.

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  Isaac Smith Kalloch.

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  Maurice Carey Blake.

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  Washington Bartlett.

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  Edward B. Pond.

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  George Henry Sanderson.

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  Levi Richard Ellert.

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  Adolph Sutro.

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  James D. Phelan.

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  Eugene Schmitz.

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  Charles Boxton.

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  Edward Robeson Taylor.

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  P. H. McCarthy.

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  James Rolph, the longest-serving mayor.

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  Angelo Joseph Rossi.

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  Roger Lapham.

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  Elmer Robinson.

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  George Christopher.

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  John F. Shelley.

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  Joseph Alioto.

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  George Moscone.

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  Dianne Feinstein, one of two women to serve as mayor.

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  Art Agnos.

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  Frank Jordan.

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  Willie Brown, the first African American mayor.

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  Gavin Newsom.

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  Ed Lee, the only Asian American mayor.

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  Mark Farrell.

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  London Breed, the first African American female mayor.