The San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee (SDFCCC) hosted a speech by Mayor Daniel Lurie and honored organizations it deemed “transformative in reimagining San Francisco’s future,” such as Mothers Against Drug Addiction and Death (MADAAD), at its annual gala on Thursday night.
Celebrating the city’s “champions of change,” the event featured several guest speakers from volunteer organizations, fundraising for the SFDCCC, and promises from Mayor Lurie over dinner. Under the maroon lighting of San Francisco’s historic Bimbo’s 365 Club, local Democratic elected officials and activists discussed ending open drug markets and supporting public transit.
Mayor Lurie, upon accepting the SFDCCC “changemaker of the year award,” voiced his stance to protect San Francisco’s immigrant communities. This comes with last week’s threats from the Trump administration to send National Guard troops to the city, and San Francisco’s status as a sanctuary city since 1989. He also advocated for public transit, calling it “nonnegotiable.”
“There is no comeback without Muni or BART,” Lurie said in his speech.
Lurie also spoke on keeping fentanyl off the streets, a sentiment echoed by many of the gala’s attendees and other honorees. While accepting the “Changemaker: Safety” award, MADAAD executive director Jacqui Berlin emphasized her organization’s commitment to “end the open drug markets that plague our city.” She accepted the award on behalf of her organization, which is 100 percent volunteer-run.
MADAAD executive director Jackie Berlin emphasized her organization’s commitment to “end the open drug markets that plague our city.”
SFDCCC awarded two more “changemaker” awards, one to the Nor Cal Carpenters’ Union for housing policy, and another to Grow SF for an advocacy organization. According to the SFDCCC website, awarded organizations have been transformative in reimagining San Francisco’s future.
One attendee, Jane Weil, also said street-level drug use was a problem. She emphasized keeping a distinction between drug use and the unhoused.
“It is not a homeless problem, it is a drug use problem,” she said.
In another speech, Nancy Tung, the leader of the local party, celebrated the success of the party’s “Dems on the move” initiative. Tung explained that the initiative takes action by bringing the party to the people, not the other way around. She recalled going from neighborhood to neighborhood and discussing with different communities to help meet their specific needs.
The gala audience erupted in applause for Proposition 50 — the ballot measure in which California voters will decide whether to authorize changes to congressional district maps in a Nov. 4 special election. The proposition comes as a counter to Texas’s partisan redistricting. Tung emphasized the action as a response to threats to democracy.
The event was attended by a large crowd of local and state Democratic notables, including Democratic club presidents and elected members of the Board of Education, the Board of Supervisors, and the state legislature. Also in attendance were gubernatorial contender and former federal health secretary Xavier Becerra, as well as Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, one of many sponsors of the event.
