As election looms, the race for District 10 heats up — and gets complicated

The District 10 race began as a relatively cordial and even complimentary campaign: Three candidates with minor policy divisions sat side by side at forums and, at first, praised the others’ work. They rarely disagreed on major issues impacting the surrounding community, including housing, the Navy’s cleanup of the Hunters Point Shipyard and economic development in Bayview’s commercial corridor. That changed on Sept. 5 when crypto-billionaire Chris Larsen donated $500,000 to a political action committee backing frontrunner Theo Ellington. In a district that has been chronically underfunded, news of the gift was jarring. Suddenly, billionaires — who have been putting their thumbs on the scale citywide — were weighing in on the race to represent some of San Francisco’s lowest income neighborhoods: Bayview-Hunters Point and Sunnydale. And just as suddenly the issue became front and center for Ellington’s opponents, Dion-Jay “DJ” Brookter, the former CEO of Young Community Developers, and J.R. Eppler, a small business attorney steeped in the more affluent Potrero Hill political scene.  Brookter and Eppler announced a joint “anti-billionaire” campaign this month, promoting their decision to team up with a ranked choice strategy to defeat Ellington.  To be sure, it won’t be easy. Ellington has received by far the most funding and endorsements — including the coveted endorsement of Mayor Daniel Lurie, whose political touch was gold during the last supervisor races in June. And, as one political consultant pointed out, the donation gives Ellington a lot of money to pay a team of door-to-door canvassers.  What’s more, Larsen has added more money to the pot. Twenty-seven days after his $500,000 donation, on Sept. 29, he dropped $40,000 more.  Larsen, in a text message to Mission Local, said that the extra $40,000 was to cover the expenses of the team managing the PAC.  The sizable sum has injected a toxic note into the race, hardening alliances and bringing insinuations that the district — or at least its frontrunner — is up for sale. Emotions are running so strong that the contribution may have backfired, damaging Ellington’s chances.  Little is known about Larsen’s motives, but political consultants have speculated that tech’s interest in the district as more companies flock to the Dogpatch could be a major factor.  Ellington said the fallout from the $540,000 contribution — to a third-party he does not control — has made the contribution “more trouble than it’s worth.”  Brookter and Eppler have adopted “District 10 can’t be bought” as a social media slogan. A volunteer for Brookter’s campaign even scrawled the phrase on an apron in big, red letters, and posted multiple videos in the apron in Bayview and in front of City Hall.  Natalie Gee, an aide for the termed-out incumbent, Supervisor Shamann Walton, who is supporting Brookter, has also posted multiple videos to social media condemning the contribution.  Tracy Gallardo, a legislative aide for Walton, calls the race a “free-for-all.”  “I really have no idea what will happen,” Gallardo said.  Will a ranked-choice, anti-billionaire strategy work?  With the support of former mayor and Potrero Hill resident Art Agnos, who appeared in a social media video posted to each of the candidates’ platforms, the two opponents are encouraging their supporters to do a “1-2” strategy, and put the other second on the ranked-choice ballot.  The move will likely benefit Brookter most. Though he has raised slightly less than Eppler — and over $300,000 less than Ellington’s nearly $488,000 in direct donations and public financing — he has amassed a larger progressive following, and has Walton’s endorsement.  Ellington, for his part, has tried to separate himself from those funding him. “I respect Mayor Agnos. But I have to correct the record. He’s talking about outside interests who have nothing to do with and do not speak for me or my campaign. What speaks for me is my record.”  The phenomenon of underdog candidates teaming up in an “anybody but the favorite” campaign is par for the course with ranked-choice voting. Jane Kim and Mark Leno nearly toppled London Breed in the 2018 mayoral race. In Oakland in 2010, Jean Quan was elected mayor after running a successful joint campaign with Rebecca Kaplan to deny the presumed frontrunner, Don Perata.  But Todd David, a longtime San Francisco moderate political consultant who donated to Ellington, said the strategy, common among progressive politicians, has rarely worked.  “That has been a losing strategy,” David said.  Still, the massive funding Larsen put behind Ellington does not guarantee a win, David said. “It’s helpful, but it still has to be spent well,” he explained. “Then again, you would 1,000 times rather have the money than not.”  Former Mayor Willie Brown agreed. Ellington “wouldn’t be better off” without the big donation, said Brown, who endorsed both Ellington and Brookter. “He’d just have fewer things to explain.”  Others disagree. Aaron Peskin, a former supervisor and ardent supporter of Brookter, argued that the contribution hurts Ellington’s chances, and will dog him even if elected. “They’re doing this guy no favors. That’s going to walk around with him for the rest of his political life,” Peskin said. Ellington, a registered city lobbyist and director of the Ruth Williams Opera House, ran for the seat once before in 2018 at age 29, but ultimately lost to Walton. In the weeks since Larsen’s gift, he’s attempted to distance himself from the donor.  “We all agree that District 10 can’t be bought,” said Ellington, who argued that his policy decisions would not be impacted by the contribution.  Larsen is the leading donor to San Francisco’s controversial Flock police surveillance technology, and helped establish the San Francisco Police Department’s Real-Time Investigation Center, which uses Flock and drones to track potential suspects.  Data from Flock cameras has