The Facts

Economist, former Bloomberg writer, and popular columnist Noah Smith penned a widely read post explaining why he made his first major political donation to GrowSF.

The other day I did something I’ve never done before: I made a major political donation. I gave $10,000 to GrowSF, a political advocacy organization that focuses on local elections in San Francisco. They’re going to use the money to support Alan Wong in the upcoming special election for District 4 supervisor.

Smith's core point drives home the stakes this June with the Board of Supervisors closely divided, one west-side seat can determine whether Mayor Daniel Lurie’s reform agenda keeps advancing, or grinds to a halt. The loss of a single seat could flip the 6-5 pro-growth majority into a 6-5 anti-change, anti-growth majority who will sabotage Lurie's goals, return to holding back homebuilding, and sink Lurie's signature charter reforms in November.

The Context

The Board is San Francisco’s legislature — but it’s unusually powerful because the Charter gives it major choke points over the executive, especially through the budget and appropriation ordinances.

Lurie’s first year has paired a public-order push with early governance reforms. SFPD reports a 25% overall crime drop in 2025, while City Hall has moved major packages like Family Zoning, the permit reforms branded PermitSF, an office-to-housing conversion deal, expanded recovery and treatment beds, and a balanced budget proposal.

The GrowSF Take

District 4 isn’t just a neighborhood race — it’s a referendum on whether San Francisco will keep making progress on public safety, education, and housing.

If we want cleaner streets, faster housing approvals, and fewer veto points for families and small businesses, we need a Board majority that will vote “yes” on reforms and then follow through. We hope you'll join Noah in donating to support Alan Wong!