Progressives Say Back Room Deals Selecting Interim Mayor Make Their Head Spin

Wizard Behind The Curtain

​Upon being elected as lite gov, Mayor Gavin Newsom swore off any back room deals to ensure that his replacement was politically untainted.

But that message seems to have been lost on him.

As the Chronicle detailed this morning, Newsom, even before Tuesday's meeting, was apparently in "another round of discussions" with Board President David Chiu about his political future as the next San Francisco district attorney, but no deal was reached.

Then, halfway through Tuesday's, eight-hour meeting, it seems Newsom continued playing the wizard behind the curtain.

After the two popular candidates for interim mayor -- Sheriff Michael Hennessey and City Administrator Ed Lee -- failed to score the six votes needed, Supervisor Bevan Dufty called a 20 minute recess.

It was during that time, Dufty and Supervisor Sophie Maxwell were seen in Room 200, confabbing with Newsom on a conference call where he was apparently stacking the votes in his favor.

And this didn't go unnoticed by the progressive board members, who were pushing for Hennessey.

"My head is spinning with how orchestrated this was," Supervisor John Avalos said.

Oh, the hypocrisy.

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