San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee has changed his tune on whether he will run for mayor in November, saying today he is considering a run after months of saying he had no plans to join the race.
Lee, who was named interim mayor in January when former Mayor Gavin Newsom was elected the state’s lieutenant governor, has previously said he wanted to return to his old job as city administrator after his term ends rather than run to stay in the mayor’s office.
But today, following his signing of the city’s budget for the next fiscal year, Lee said talks with some current members of the Board of Supervisors have him reconsidering whether he wants to give up the spot.
“There’s a lot of people talking to me, including members of the Board of Supervisors,” he said.
He declined to identify which supervisors were pushing him to run, and said “it’s not a decision I’ve made at all yet.”
Two current board members–Board President David Chiu and Supervisor John Avalos–are already running for mayor this November, along with state Sen. Leland Yee, City Attorney Dennis Herrera, Assessor-Recorder Phil Ting, former supervisors Bevan Dufty, Michela Alioto-Pier and Tony Hall, and venture capitalist Joanna Rees.
Lee said he has also talked to his family about whether they would want to go through four more years of dealing with the long hours and busy schedule required of a mayor.
“I’ve spent some good time with the daughters and wife, talking about what we want to do, and what it means,” he said. “They’ve also been asking how I feel, if I’m healthy, and when I’m going to play another round of golf.”
More than 30,000 people have signed a petition supporting a campaign titled “Run, Ed, Run,” organizers of the campaign said last week.
Lee has until Aug. 12 to decide whether to file papers with the city’s Department of Elections to run for mayor.
Dan McMenamin, Bay City News
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