S
upervisor Dean Preston, San Francisco's most progressive leader, has conceded to moderate challenger Bilal Mahmood in the city's most expensive supervisor race. Mahmood led by a significant margin in ranked-choice voter preferences, with 52.7% of the vote compared to Preston's 47.3%. Although Preston initially led in first-place votes, Mahmood is likely to win.

    Preston, who represented District 5, which includes the Tenderloin and Haight-Ashbury, was known for his left-wing stance on development issues. He had been a target of moderate opponents tied to tech interests since two years ago, when he backed a building vacancy tax and helped kill a large housing project.

    Mahmood, who served in the Obama administration, expressed excitement about governing with a unity coalition. He stated that the district wanted change, unity, and a progressive leader who delivers on values. Mahmood's campaign was aided by GrowSF's "Dump Dean" PAC, which raised nearly $300,000.

    The District 5 race was the most expensive supervisor contest, with over $1.5 million raised by all candidates. Preston raised more than $511,000, while Mahmood raised over $496,000. Despite backing from unions, tenant groups, and national leaders like Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Bernie Sanders, Preston's support wasn't enough to carry him.

    Mahmood promised to cut red tape for housing development, support arrests of drug dealers, and address homelessness through more shelters and coordination at City Hall. He attacked Preston for his adversarial relationship with the police and lack of support for market-rate housing projects.