For many years, San Francisco has had serious problems with drug use on the streets. Not only in the infamous "Tenderloin District" but also near schools, on the sidewalks where people walk to get their kids to school or to get to work, and the drug users face no repercussions.
San Francisco Woman Posts Her Commute Through the City’s Tenderloin District
— Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) November 7, 2023
“This is how I have to get to work everyday…this is not ok.” pic.twitter.com/cyFndTZ9ze
Mayor Daniel Lurie, a centrist Democrat, began tackling some of the issues facing San Francisco, and there were many. The crime in 2025, compared to 2024, decreased by 25 to 30 percent citywide. That is the result of voters recalling their radical district attorney, Chesa Boudin, while electing a common-sense mayor, something San Francisco has sorely missed for at least over two decades now.
Lurie launched a program called RESET, which would take drug users off the streets, make communities safer, and help those who are drug addicts. He said, in part:
The RESET Center is a health-focused facility designed to care for publicly intoxicated individuals by moving them off the streets and into a safe and controlled environment. It provides hope by giving individuals a chance to sober up and be connected to treatment.
For too long, San Franciscans have been told that we must choose between clean, safe neighborhoods and compassion for those struggling on our streets.
— Daniel Lurie 丹尼爾·羅偉 (@DanielLurie) February 18, 2026
I ran for mayor because I believed we can—and should—do both. And today, we’re showing that our city doesn’t have to choose… pic.twitter.com/zTKNPDRpw5
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The Democrats always claim to be the party of compassion, yet they allow people to suffer on the streets. Those people often pass away or further damage their bodies, while simultaneously being a threat to public safety. Lurie is actually showing compassion by helping these drug users, getting them off the street and into rehabilitation. Several faith-based, Christian missions across the country try to do that daily, with little to no support from a governor or mayor, in cities like Baltimore, with Helping Up Mission, for example. Lurie's actions should be a lesson for other mayors and especially governors to take action and not allow this kind of open-air drug market on their streets, which puts people's lives in danger, as well as harms small businesses.
Nothing can drastically change overnight, especially when a city like San Francisco has been neglected for decades by the likes of then-mayors Gavin Newsom and London Breed, but what matters is that Lurie seems to care about the people of the city and wants real results that will help the residents and small businesses of San Francisco.
I ran for mayor because San Franciscans deserve accountable leadership. One year in, San Francisco is a city on the rise, and we will continue setting the conditions for our city’s success—rooted in public safety, addressing the mental health and drug crises, and supporting our… pic.twitter.com/uKVbsDQBMh
— Daniel Lurie 丹尼爾·羅偉 (@DanielLurie) February 6, 2026
In deep blue cities, like San Francisco, where they will still elect a Democrat no matter what, candidates like Lurie need to get the recognition if they are willing to and working towards bettering their city and prioritizing their residents. A mayor who does not care about the person's political affiliations, but knows that they are a taxpaying citizen, and the public's demands must be met.
Lurie's approval rating is at a whopping 73 percent. Does more work need to be done? Absolutely. But he is showing a blueprint for current and future mayors that change is possible, results matter, and citizens will be safer, happier, and more prosperous when they feel safe, can walk on sidewalks without seeing drugs and trash on the streets, and small businesses are allowed to thrive.
