Lurie’s team had told me ahead of time that he was short on time for this conversation: He had just announced a new city police chief, and he had about a half hour for me before moving on to the next thing. Who was it? Lurie quipped, moments before we were interrupted from backstage to join our conversation in front of several hundred attendees – a local crowd who, judging by their fiery reactions to Lurie’s every word, is among the 73 percent of San Francisco residents who approve of the job he has done since taking office in January of this year.
To Lurie’s credit, the story in San Francisco right now is largely positive. The city is unquestionably the global hub of AI innovation and the billions of dollars that come with it, with companies like Anthropic and OpenAI, as well as smaller startups, investors, and plenty of young, AI-focused technologists all calling San Francisco home. Yes, that means rents have gone up and the housing stock remains indefinitely low. But office vacancy rates are falling, retail shops are coming back into the city’s downtown, and as Lurie takes office, several key metrics measuring municipal crime — including homicides and car break-ins — are at historic lows.
I wanted to talk to Lurie about all that, but I was also curious about the bigger picture: his administration’s dynamics with the federal government, particularly in the context of President Trump’s October plan to send the National Guard to San Francisco — an effort that Lurie managed to thwart, according to the New York Times, by recruiting a powerful coterie of technology executives to work the phones on his behalf.
In keeping with his diligent efforts to focus the conversation on San Francisco, and perhaps to avoid attracting the attention or outrage of the current administration, Lurie was not coming there at all. It’s a different approach than other Democrats who have governed progressive parts of the country, from New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani to California Governor Gavin Newsom. But if the reaction in the room last week was any indication, Lurie’s local fans don’t mind his “say less” strategy — at least for now.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Katie Drummond: Oh, wow. Some fans in the audience. Someone’s approval rating is 70-something percent. Wow, God!
Daniel Lurie: How are my socks? Oh, they’re black. I usually wear more fun socks.
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