San Francisco: 'Last days of Ayatollah of the Bay?'

Among the key races of interest to conservatives last Tuesday.

With his fedora inevitably cocked to one side, his custom-made suits, his cigar and his swagger, San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown Jr. (D.) appeared every inch what friend and foe alike had dubbed him, the Ayatollah of the Bay. Already, a biography had been written and "60 Minutes" had profiled the mayor who seemed to reign over his city with the same panache he had demonstrated in a record 14 years as speaker of the state assembly.

But with rents skyrocketing, traffic gridlock on the rise, panhandlers abounding and "Muni"-the city's municipal transportation system-continually breaking down, Brown's once-certain reelection was thrown into doubt last week as he managed to pull 48% of the vote against the 21% won by the second-place finisher, former Mayor (1991-95) Frank Jordan, whom Brown unseated four years ago. The duel between the old enemies will be settled December 14.

Rounding out the field last week were wealthy political consultant Clinton Reilly and Tom Ammiano, the openly homosexual president of the City Board of Supervisors. Ammiano, who entered the race late as a write-in candidate, had strong appeal among lower-income voters and homosexuals in the Castro district, traditional backers of Brown.

Copyright Human Events Publishing, Inc. Nov 12, 1999
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