Wiener, Kim State Senate Race ‘nastier' than anticipated

SAN FRANCISCO (KTVU) - It's become one of the most heated races in the Bay Area this election season: the race for State Senate to represent San Francisco and Northern San Mateo County.

San Francisco Supervisors Jane Kim and Scott Wiener are locked in a virtual dead heat, scrambling for every vote.

In her TV ad, a "Tae Kwon Do"- clad Jane Kim touts herself as a progressive fighter for a diverse city, someone who champions affordable housing, education and the working class.

Scott Wiener is the moderate, who points to his lengthy track record as an advocate for public transportation, the environment, healthcare and affordable housing.

"This campaign has become much nastier and much more negative than I had ever anticipated," Kim told KTVU Tuesday.

"Jane Kim started to attack me back in the primary, in the spring and she's continued to attack me," said Wiener. "I'm not a show horse, I'm a work horse. I work really really hard; I take on very difficult and often unsexy issues and carry through on them."

"I sometimes feel like I'm Alice in Wonderland with my opponent saying that he is also a progressive voice for housing and tenant rights when clearly that has been *my* track record over the last 10 years."
Wiener says he is responsible for streamlining the approval process for affordable housing, expanding water recycling and solar power and creating a soda tax.

“I support the soda tax as a way for combating type 2 diabetes and including and among our kids, Jane Kim is opposed to the soda tax and her campaign is being significantly funded by the soda industry,” said Wiener.
Kim fired back and said Wiener's campaign has been funded by corporate cash from donors like Airbnb.

She says she proposed a tax on ultra-luxury housing, fought to raise the minimum wage to $15 and she wants to make City College free.

"I think the biggest thing that I have fought against is saying that we should build as much market rate and luxury housing as possible,” said Kim. 
　
Wiener retorted he supports the need for “significantly more housing to meet the needs of a growing population”.

“Jane Kim has opposed many thousands of units of housing,” Wiener said.

“I'm proud to have fought and won the most affordable housing of any member of this board,” said Kim. 

To date, Kim has the backing of The San Francisco Tenants Union, The Sierra Club and California nurses and teachers.

Wiener has State Attorney General Kamala Harris on his side, as well as police and fire, the Teamsters Union, Dianne Feinstein and Gavin Newsom.

With two weeks until Election Day, you can bet that both candidates will be out in full force.