Alan Wong PAC draws four rebukes
- Four challengers in San Francisco’s District 4 supervisor race publicly denounced outside spending backing incumbent Alan Wong after a Sunset forum, turning the June 2 election into a fight over money. - Mission Local reported PACs tied to Mayor Daniel Lurie’s allies had put more than $500,000 behind Wong, including a $250,000 donation from billionaire Michael Moritz and about $213,000 from SF Believes. - The clash lands after Lurie appointed Wong in December, making the short special election a test of whether mayor-linked independent spending can hold the Sunset seat. (missionlocal.org)
Four District 4 candidates used a Sunset forum to attack the outside money boosting incumbent Supervisor Alan Wong in the June 2 San Francisco election. (missionlocal.org) Mission Local reported that Wong, whom Mayor Daniel Lurie appointed in December 2025, skipped the April 16 forum, but rival candidates kept his name at the center of the night. (missionlocal.org 1) (missionlocal.org 2) The four candidates criticizing the spending were Natalie Gee, Albert Chow, David Lee and Marjan Philhour, according to Mission Local’s account of the event. (missionlocal.org) The money is coming through independent expenditure committees, which can raise and spend unlimited sums as long as they do not coordinate with candidates. Mission Local said PACs backing Wong had amassed more than $540,000 by late April. (missionlocal.org) One GrowSF-backed PAC raised more than $306,000 for Wong, and Mission Local said venture capitalist Michael Moritz gave that committee $250,000 in March. (missionlocal.org) A second committee, SF Believes, spent about $213,000 on Wong through flyers, newspaper ads, polling and canvassing, Mission Local reported. The same outlet described SF Believes as a PAC created by backers of Lurie’s 2024 mayoral campaign. (missionlocal.org) The San Francisco Standard separately reported that Wong’s challengers had joined forces against what it called a billionaire-backed PAC supporting him. (sfstandard.com) The spending fight has tightened around a race that already had a compressed timeline. Mission Local reported in February that five candidates had filed for the District 4 seat after Wong’s appointment, with voting set for June 2, 2026. (missionlocal.org) Mission Local also reported that Wong had about $240,000 more total backing than his closest rival, Natalie Gee, with most of that edge coming from third-party committees rather than his campaign account. (missionlocal.org) Another Mission Local report added to the pressure this week: Albert Chow said GrowSF directors met with him days after Wong’s appointment and tried to persuade him not to run. GrowSF denied offering him a job or seat on a commission. (missionlocal.org) The District 4 contest now doubles as a test of whether Lurie’s allies can use outside money to protect an appointed incumbent in the Sunset. Voters will decide on June 2. (missionlocal.org 1) (missionlocal.org 2)
