Mission Local is publishing a daily campaign dispatch for each of the major contenders in the mayor’s race, alternating among candidates weekly until November. This week: Mark Farrell. Read earlier dispatches here.
One streetcar, three drag queens, seven helium tanks, 80 volunteers and 10,000 strings of beads.
“We take Pride seriously,” said Jade Tu, Mark Farrell’s campaign manager, on Sunday, wearing colorful gems dotted around her eyelids. Dozens of volunteers for Farrell’s mayoral campaign were standing out in the sun at Howard and Main streets at 11 a.m., helping string flags across a green streetcar and blowing up balloons. So many balloons.
At the St. Patrick’s Day parade, Farrell’s campaign had 5,000 beads and ran out. This weekend, they brought 10,000.
The Farrell contingent was gearing up for the annual Pride parade. Float #48 had just begun walking and, with Farrell at #146, it still had some time to go before setting off down Market Street. EDM music blasted from Farrell’s car; nearby, ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” ushered out from a neighboring float.
Sophie Marie, Farrell’s campaign field director, dashed back and forth, delegating decorating tasks and chaperoning volunteers. “Come get a T-shirt!” Marie shouted from a megaphone. Meanwhile, Ali Wunderman, another campaign staffer, sped around getting footage for the campaign’s Instagram, TikTok and X accounts. Farrell’s wife, three kids and in-laws were also out blowing balloons and hanging up flags.
During the city’s first publicized mayoral debate earlier in June, Heather Knight, the New York Times bureau chief and debate moderator, asked the candidates to name their favorite drag queen. Ahsha Safaí responded first: “Honey Mahogany,” and Farrell followed.
“I’m gonna give the same answer, Honey Mahogany,” said Farrell during the debate, grinning. Safaí and the crowd cackled, clocking that Farrell did not have his own answer. At a subsequent debate, Mayor London Breed asked Farrell to name three drag queens, and said she was giving him a chance to redeem himself. Farrell deflected the question.
But today, there were not one, but three queens: Ruby Red Munro, Luz Lips and Bionka Simone, all local Bay Area drag queens who answered the calls to volunteer.
Farrell’s staff was well aware of his drag-queen lapse. When I asked Marie the names of the drag queens sitting inside a car parked in the shade. “I don’t know, you should ask Mark. He knows the names.”
Two of the three were relative newcomers to the candidate, however, and none seemed particularly well-versed in his policies.
Why was she at the parade to support Mark?
“I am still contemplating,” Munro said as she stepped out of the streetcar, letting the breeze circulate beneath her full-length bedazzled cape.
“So far, love the guy, lovely family,” said Munro. “His policies? We’ll learn about them.”
Luz Lips said she liked what Farrell stands for, but did not elaborate. “I saw the volunteer opportunity and I thought, ‘Why not?’”
Lorent, a personal stylist and friend of Farrell’s, was standing wearing a multicolored tutu and bandana, with strings of colored beads around his neck. He speculated about whether Farrell took his outfit advice. “He needs to wear jeans and sneakers and something approachable,” said Lorent. “Don’t have him wear a white shirt.”
Sure enough, Farrell arrived at around noon, looking relaxed, wearing a pink polo shirt. He promptly joined in on some photos.
“Here with my wife and my queens: Bionka, Ruby and Luz. We’re ready to march. Have an amazing day.”
So much transactionality on one float.
Nobody really believes anything they’re saying.
Talk about a nothing burger. But a nice hit piece to show that Farrell isn’t ideologically pure.