San Francisco Mayoral Candidate Calls for National Guard to Combat Drug Epidemic

San Francisco mayoral candidate Mark Farrell suggested on Thursday sending in the National Guard to deal with the fentanyl overdose crisis by targeting the city’s downtown drug markets.

This proposal is part of the Democrat venture capitalist’s strategy to challenge Mayor London Breed in November by taking a more conservative approach, as reported by Politico.

While both Breed and California Governor Gavin Newsom have already used the National Guard and California Highway Patrol to assist local law enforcement in combatting fentanyl rings, Farrell is pushing for more personnel for an unspecified period of time.

Amid growing frustration over crime and theft in the city, Farrell’s call for “more armed California National Guard” is likely to resonate with residents who are fed up with the city’s decline.

Former city supervisor and interim mayor, Farrell, emphasized that his proposal is not driven by ideology but rather a response to the surge in drug-related deaths, with at least 811 reported last year.

“I don’t think it’s progressive or compassionate to allow a high number of overdose deaths on our streets every year,” he stated.

Farrell cited other Democrat-led cities’ aggressive responses to similar issues, such as New York Governor Kathy Hochul deploying the National Guard to combat crime in NYC subway stations.

The mayoral race in San Francisco has seen candidates trying to outdo each other with tougher policies to appeal to voters, given that most major players have positioned themselves as moderate Democrats.

In reaction to Farrell’s proposal, Breed’s campaign criticized him for being too conservative for the liberal city.

Shift towards the right in policy proposals reflects voters’ growing dissatisfaction with the city’s safety, as well as the influence of tech-funded advocacy groups advocating for stricter drug and public safety measures.

Breed is also facing competition from philanthropist Daniel Lurie, who has introduced policies to address the city’s crime and drug addiction problems. Lurie called for a “state of emergency” declaration over the fentanyl issue, aiming to secure additional state and federal funding.

“These are not just statistics,” Lurie emphasized during a news conference. “Each death is someone’s family member.”