One S.F. judge candidate is out raising her opponent 5-to-1, boosted by tech exec and cop unions

"Phoebe Maffei, a prosecutor in the San Francisco district attorney's office and candidate in the city's judicial race, is on a fundraising tear for a race that usually sees little big money action: She has raised some $150,000, outraising her opponent, Deputy Public Defender Alexandra Pray, fivefold. Maffei's total includes contributions from major political donors and law enforcement unions, according to filings submitted to the California Secretary of State tracking donations as of May 11."

"In California, judges are usually appointed to their positions by the governor. In this case, Judge Gerardo Sandoval did not file papers to seek reelection, leaving an open seat at the San Francisco Superior Court that will be filled following the election on June 2. Both Maffei and Pray put their hats in the ring, and for both it's their first foray into campaigning and fundraising."

"Maffei, who has worked in various departments at the district attorney's office over 15 years, has received $5,000 from the San Francisco Deputy Sheriff's Association, and $2,500 from the San Francisco Police Officers Association. Jeremy Liew, a venture capitalist who was the first to invest in Snapchat, gave $10,000 to support Maffei, the largest contribution to her campaign. He is a major contributor to moderate political groups: In 2025, he gave $200,000 to Neighbors for a Better San Francisco and $500,000 to GrowSF."

""I have a broad coalition of support that's representative of the life I have lived in San Francisco," said Maffei, who added that friends from her bartending days before law school have also chipped in. It's like her pre-law days, she said, when "a group of my regulars got together when I left the bar business and bought me a suit so that I could wear it to interviews in law school.""

Phoebe Maffei, a San Francisco district attorney prosecutor and judicial candidate, has raised about $150,000 for an open San Francisco Superior Court seat, outpacing her opponent Alexandra Pray, a deputy public defender, who has raised close to $30,000. Maffei’s fundraising includes contributions from major political donors and law enforcement unions, including the San Francisco Deputy Sheriff’s Association and the San Francisco Police Officers Association. Her largest contribution came from venture capitalist Jeremy Liew, who has also funded major moderate political groups. Pray’s funds come mostly from smaller-dollar contributions. The seat became available because Judge Gerardo Sandoval did not file to seek reelection, and the election is scheduled for June 2.

Read at Mission Local