Democrat defeats Green in S.F. mayor vote

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- Democrat Gavin Newsom defeated Green Party candidate Matt Gonzalez by a comfortable margin in Tuesday's San Francisco mayoral election.

Newsom, who has stirred up controversy through his plans to curb aggressive panhandling by the homeless, pulled 52.2 percent of the vote to Gonzalez's 47.5 percent and will replace outgoing California political legend Willie Brown.

Despite his Democratic credentials, Newsom's goals of improving San Francisco's business climate rubbed many of the city's avowed liberals the wrong way. The San Francisco Chronicle reported a flat turnout in some neighborhoods considered most likely to back Gonzalez and the Greens.

One of the new mayor's greatest dilemmas will be preserving low-income housing in a city with some of the loftiest real estate prices in the nation.

In Tuesday's other race, Kamala Harris cruised past incumbent Terence Hallinan to win the district attorney's job.