Venture capitalist Mark Farrell is trying to run to the right of Mayor London Breed of San Francisco in his campaign against the incumbent, promising to deploy more National Guard troops in the city.

Both Ms. Breed and Governor Newsom have deployed the California National Guard and the California Highway Patrol to the city in attempts to crack down on rampant drug abuse downtown.

Mr. Farrell is hoping to escalate the deployment of the military to the streets of San Francisco, telling Politico Thursday that “I don’t believe that it’s progressive or compassionate to allow a record number of overdose deaths on our streets every single year.”

Ms. Breed’s campaign attacked Mr. Farrell’s suggestion, saying that “If he tacks any farther to the right, Mark Farrell might need to re-register as a Republican.”

The policy, apparently influenced by Governor Hochul’s decision to deploy the national guard to New York City’s subways, is another instance of Democrats increasingly embracing the use of military and police to deter lawlessness in America’s largest cities.

An heir to the Levi Strauss fortune, Daniel Lurie, has also joined in the race, calling for a citywide state of emergency over fentanyl and promising to bring in more money from the state and federal government.

“These are not just numbers on a page. Every death is someone’s son, daughter, sister or brother,” Mr. Lurie said during a press conference. 

According to Politico, much of the race to the right is funded by some of the city’s super wealthy elite, like venture capitalists Michael Moritz, Chris Larsen, and Ron Conway.