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After San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee Announces Intention For Second Term, Progressives Say He's 'Beatable'

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) — While San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee announced on Thursday his intention to run for re-election, progressives think he could face a serious challenge as the city's wealth gap widens.

After San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee Announces Intention For Second Term, Progressives Say He's 'Beatable'

Not only will Lee seek a second term, political consultant Eric Jaye told KCBS that he will be in a commanding position.

"He has several distinct advantages. One: most voters in San Francisco think the city is headed in the right direction and poll after poll has also shown that the voters overwhelmingly approve of the job the mayor is doing," he said.

Related Content: San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee Makes It Official, Will Run For Re-Election

Meanwhile, Supervisor John Avalos, who finished second to Lee in the last mayor's race, doesn't agree.

Avalos said he would not run again but expects that another progressive, someone like Assemblymen Tom Ammiano or state Sen. Mark Leno, will.

"I think Lee's beatable and I think that he's challengeable and I think that it makes sense that he has a run for his money so if he wins, he can do better work," Avalos said. "It's important. Without a candidate to challenge the mayor then we will see probably more of the same: a widening gap in wealth, many working people leaving San Francisco."

Affordability, he said, will be the key issue, in particular, the high cost of San Francisco.

The election for mayor will be in November 2014.

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