In the 2018 mayoral race, Breed shared the Chinatown area with then-Supervisor Jane Kim, a progressive Korean American candidate. Breed won most of the city's Asian American wards. But this year, much of Breed's moderate Chinese electorate is expected to support her moderate opponents Farrell and Lurie and possibly Supervisor Aaron Peskin, a progressive candidate who enjoys high name recognition in the Chinese community. Peskin has represented Chinatown on the Board of Supervisors for nearly two decades.
In a text message, Peskin expressed confidence in the support of Chinese Americans, saying many of Breed's supporters in the Chinese American business community could also support him under the city's ranked choice system.
Political consultant David Ho predicted Peskin would win the Chinatown constituency, but he said it was unclear who the favorites were among the bulk of Chinese voters in the city's west and south.
“I think the Chinese votes will be divided this time,” Ho told The Standard. “Is this good or bad for the community, as the voting power will be neutralized?”
Overall, Ho said, voting patterns in Chinatown and most other Chinese-majority neighborhoods are similar, but Chinatown voters may be slightly more progressive when it comes to rent control and affordable housing, while Chinese voters on the South Side and Sunset Boulevard are considered more conservative.
Donald Luu is president of the San Francisco Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Chinatown but lives on the west side. He attended Peskin's campaign fundraiser and Breed's press conference in Chinatown as a supporter. He said Peskin is a longtime friend – but in the race for mayor, he hopes a moderate candidate will prevail.
“I need a mayor who can work with both sides, and the policy needs to be in the middle,” Luu said. “The city gets worse when one side gets too much influence.”
