“City Hall @ Fulton #7” (San Francisco City Hall from the Western Addition neighborhood) by Nicholas Coley, 24 x 36 inches, oil on canvas, 2013.
San Francisco Mayoral Race Vote Totals Since 1939
by Matt Gonzalez
Below are the top two finishers or runoff vote totals (when there was a runoff) in San Francisco mayoral races since 1939. Data for twenty-one mayoral races is included.
No candidate for mayor of San Francisco received over 100,000 votes prior to 1939.
Every winning mayor received at least 100,000 votes since 1939, with the exception of Ed Lee in 2011 (84,457 votes), Joe Alioto in 1971 (95,744 votes), Elmer Robinson in 1951 (98,611 votes), and Roger Lapham in 1943 (90,646). Lee, Alioto, and Robinson received over 100,000 votes in other mayoral races.
Only three candidates received over 100,000 votes and failed to win their contest: Mark Leno in 2018, Matt Gonzalez in 2003, and Franck Havenner in both 1939 and 1947.
The three closest contests were in 1951 between Elmer Robinson and George Christopher (Robinson won by 1,926 votes); 2018 between London Breed and Mark Leno (Breed won by 2,546); and 1975 between George Moscone and John Barbagelata (Moscone won by 4,270).
Listings below in bold indicate vote totals of a candidate who won the contest.
Votes received / Candidate / Election year
158,244 – George Christopher 1955
145,009 – George Christopher 1959
137,335 – Angelo Rossi 1939
133,546 – Gavin Newsom 2003
131,983 – Willie Brown 1999
120,560 – Jack Shelley 1963
119,329 – Matt Gonzalez 2003
117,503 – Elmer Robinson 1947
117,489 – Diane Feinstein 1983
116,256 – Franck Havenner 1939
115,977 – London Breed 2018
113,431 – Mark Leno 2018
107,500 – Willie Brown 1995
106,814 – Joe Alioto 1967
105,596 – Gavin Newsom 2007
105,298 – Ed Lee 2015
104,098 – Frank Jordan 1991
102,898– Art Agnos 1987
102,635 – Dianne Feinstein 1979
102,100 – Franck Havenner 1947
100,077 – George Moscone 1975
——————————————————-100,000
98,611 – Elmer Robinson 1951
97,726 – Art Agnos 1991
96,685 – George Christopher 1951
95,807 – John Barbagelata 1975
95,744 – Joe Alioto 1971
92,627 – Harold Dobbs 1963
92,252 – Russell Wolden 1959
90,646 – Roger Lapham 1943
90,482 – Harold Dobbs 1967
89,428 – Tom Ammiano 1999
87,539 – Quentin Kopp 1979
84,457 – Ed Lee 2011
82,173 – Frank Jordan 1995
75,824 – George Reilly 1955
68,637 – Harold Dobbs 1971
57,699 – George Reilly 1943
57,160 – John Avalos 2011
44,275 – John Molinari 1987
28,638 – Francisco Herrera 2015
10,713 – Cesar Ascarrunz 1983
9,076 – Quintin Mecke 2007
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Some Noteworthy 3rd Place Vote Totals from General Election Tallies
Votes received / Candidate / Election year
66,043 – Jane Kim 2018 (this is the final tally for the candidate under rank choice voting)
60,651 – Chester MacPhee 1947
56,538 – Roberta Achtenberg 1995
53,911 – Diane Feinstein 1971
52,013 – Joseph Sullivan 1951
47,626 – Angelo Rossi, 1943
40,206 – Jack Morrison 1967
39,769 – Roger Boas 1987
39,344 – Diane Feinstein 1975
37,142 – Dennis Herrera 2011
34,910 – Angela Alioto 1991
33,446 – Angela Alioto 2003
32,893 – Frank Jordan 1999
27,581 – Edward Mancuso 1963
23,099 – Amy Weiss 2015 (this is the final tally for the candidate under rank choice voting)
15,839 – Adolph Uhl, 1939
8,400 – Harold Hoogasian 2007
7,644 – Gloria La Riva 1983
6,591 – Jello Biafra 1979
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