Sexual assault accusations force San Francisco supervisor hopeful to quit, boosting drug-policy advocate

Manny Yekutiel, a well-connected activist and owner of Manny’s Cafe, abandoned his bid for San Francisco’s District 8 supervisor seat after two separate sexual assault allegations surfaced, including a claim that he groped a man’s genitals at a Pride party in 2023 and another that he grabbed a different man’s testicles at a 2020 house party. In a statement, Yekutiel denied the accusations but said he needed time to work on himself.

His withdrawal triggered a rapid shift among Democratic officials, with Mayor Daniel Lurie rescinding his endorsement and all city supervisors who had backed Yekutiel doing the same. The party’s leadership, led by chair Nancy Tung, issued an apology for failing to properly evaluate the complaints and for previously endorsing Yekutiel, acknowledging harm to survivor Brad Chapin. With the race open, Democratic insiders have coalesced around Gary McCoy, a former political director for Nancy Pelosi and former VP of policy at HealthRight 360, who is a vocal proponent of drug decriminalization and safe consumption sites. The episode highlights ongoing tensions within San Francisco’s Democratic establishment over candidate vetting and drug-policy advocacy.