SF Democrats Push for Change, Debate Age Limits for Elected Officials

This column was reported for Political Breakdown, a bi-monthly newsletter offering analysis and context on Bay Area and California political news. Click here to subscribe.

Moderate San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie marked his first 100 days in office by sticking to a pledge to focus on local issues rather than national headlines.

Progressive icon Barbara Lee promises to fight against Trump’s policies when she takes over as Mayor of Oakland next month.

And Gov. Gavin Newsom warned Democrats that focusing on Trump’s immigration policies is a distraction from what the party should be talking about. He received forceful blowback from fellow Democrats.

Taken together, these messages underscore the confusion and competing priorities among elected Democrats as they search for a path forward following November’s electoral wipeout.

Stepping into that void, the San Francisco Democratic Party is working to reframe its message — from public safety to closing the achievement gap in public schools — and even floating the idea of age limits for elected officials.

“We have gotten too far away from the kitchen table concerns of working people, young people and immigrants,” said Nancy Tung, chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party.

Tung said this repositioning is a response to recent elections where voters recalled school board members, ousted a progressive district attorney and elected a moderate mayor.

“I mean, it really was this reckoning in San Francisco politics that led to a change in the direction of where our government is going,” she said.

Tung, who works in the office of District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, said, at the very least, party positions need a serious update.

“The last resolution that passed by the state party around police was to defund the police in 2020,” she added. “And what we’re hearing from voters is that people want to be safe on their streets.”

Under Tung’s leadership, the San Francisco Democratic Party’s moderate-leaning majority is trying out resolutions on public safety, schools, housing and more. She hopes the state party will adopt – or at least discuss – these course corrections at its convention in May.

Tung insists this is not a retreat from core Democratic values, like support for women’s access to abortion or LGBTQ+ rights. But she thinks it’s time to focus on results rather than “performative resolutions and just pontificating.”

“We will need to be the party that can get things done and that basic government services in our Democrat-controlled cities are not just functional, but excellent,” she told me.

The most controversial proposal? A resolution suggesting the party consider age limits for elected officials. On the heels of the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s serious health decline during her final years in office, Tung said the party should encourage and cultivate younger leaders.

The obvious question: Does this apply to 85-year-old Nancy Pelosi, who would be seeking a 21st term if she runs for reelection next year?

“It’s hard to criticize Nancy Pelosi for staying in office because she is exceptional,” Tung said, sidestepping any criticism of the iconic Democrat. “I think Nancy Pelosi is just phenomenal. She is one of a kind.”

Saikat Chakrabarti begs to differ. The 39-year-old former staffer to Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is running against Pelosi, hoping to force her into retirement. He sat down with me and my colleague Marisa Lagos last month for the Political Breakdown podcast.

“It is absolutely about not just challenging Pelosi, but challenging the party as it is right now. The party is underwater with its own voters. Democrats are saying that they are mad at their own Democrats,” Chakrabarti said.

He argues Pelosi hasn’t done enough to position Democrats as the party of accountability.

“I don’t think she’s moved far enough on getting rid of the corrupting influence of money in politics, things like banning insider stock trading,” Chakrabarti said.

With no clear national leader and limited power in Washington, Democrats are struggling to settle on a message.

On the one hand, Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez are attracting tens of thousands of people to rallies promoting economic populism, with stops in Trump-friendly territories like Bakersfield and Folsom. In San Francisco, Lurie supports the city’s sanctuary policies, but also resists getting drawn into national issues.

In her first post-election press conference, Mayor-elect Lee promised not to let the president “divide and conquer” Oakland.

“I hope that we stay unified in pushing back and resisting what’s going to be devastating for Oakland. So that’s going to be up to us,” Lee said.

Tung said she’s optimistic that the state and local Democratic party are responding to voters’ frustrations.

“I want to see more leadership from national Democrats on these issues, yeah. And I don’t see it,” Tung said.