S.F. Takes the Lead in New Voting Method

"San Francisco is a place where anyone can label something 'reform' and it will get passed," said Chris Bowman, a Republican political consultant who opposed the campaign to place the measure on the ballot as an attempt by outsiders to advance a national agenda. "They figured if they could get a major city like San Francisco to do it, then they could go after other areas.... [But] anything that means that fewer voters are going to decide who the winner is, is not reform."

Just how the system could tilt the city's contests is a matter of speculation. Some suggest that even in a staunchly liberal district such as Gonzalez's, the method could help more moderate candidates. Others note that the outcome probably will be dictated by the political leanings of the minor candidates who are the first to be eliminated, because it is the second choices of their voters that will then spring into play.

"Will we end up with a representative from this community who more or less represents how most of voters in this district identify themselves?" asked Savannah Blackwell, who edits www.SFProgressives.com.

"It's not a panacea for progressives. It's not a panacea for moderates. It's simply a way of avoiding the costs of runoffs, and I think it's fair to say it's a way to make the individual's vote count more."

Regardless of the outcome, adoption of the system has already affected campaigning -- most notably in the race to replace Gonzalez.

The greater potential influence of lesser candidates has created an enormous field. At a recent forum that one community organizer likened to speed dating, nearly two-dozen contestants rushed from table to table to offer one-minute introductions.

Most notable has been the shift from negative campaigning toward cooperation. Contestants have established a "Candidates Collaborative," in which more than a dozen meet regularly to brainstorm about issues affecting their district. Julian Davis, a 25-year-old doctoral student in philosophy, said he launched the collaborative with aging hippie "Diamond" Dave Whittaker because they believed it was the neighborly thing to do.

But others say the unusual effort has taken off because such alliances now make political sense.

"It has completely changed the way we do politics," said Susan King, a lesser-known candidate who supports fellow Greens, including Ross Mirkarimi, who is among the front-runners. (Analysts believe the contest probably will be a close one between Mirkarimi, an established Green Party activist and political strategist, and longtime tenant and labor organizer Robert Haaland, a Democrat.)

"I need to get enough No. 1 votes to get in the race, and then I have to collect No. 2s from other candidates as they drop out," she said. "It has created a unique opportunity for candidates to compete. Rather than being more competitive, they're being more collaborative."