Fourteen small business owners have challenged Mark Farrell’s ballot designation as a “small business owner” calling the designation “purposefully designed to mislead voters.”
The letter was sent to the Department of Elections on Monday morning, the last day when the public can object to a ballot designation requested by candidates.
The letter says the designation “offends the sensibilities of any true small business owner in San Francisco.”
It was sent by members of the Small Business Forward, a small business advocacy group, including bars, restaurants, bookstores, salons and retail shops.
The business owners recounted Farrell’s firm’s history of investments, including raising $43 million by selling stock in 2019, and taking the company Inspirato public and having investments in the company worth over $400 million.
“Mr. Farrell’s proposed ballot designation strains credulity and offends the sensibilities of any true small business owner in San Francisco,” the letter reads.
For the mayoral contender himself, when he talked about his professional experience publicly, on his campaign website, political donation declarations, or during interviews with media and university students, he referred to himself as lawyer, investment banker, and co-founder of Thayer Ventures, but never a small business owner.
His venture capitalist firm listed $100 million in capital, according to a company press release.
“The nature of Thayer Ventures is so far removed from what it means to be a small business in San Francisco,” the letter reads. “Negotiating lease terms, navigating tax liabilities, supporting a local workforce, and serving the residents and visitors of San Francisco.”
The Department of Elections said it is reviewing the information and has requested additional information from Farrell, according to department director John Arntz.
The Department of Elections wrote in an email earlier this month that Thayer Ventures falls within the U.S. Census Bureau definition of a small business, which references the Small Business Administration: A firm generating up to $40 million in revenue, with 100 to 1,500 employees. So, technically, Farrell can use the designation on the ballot.
The owners today asked the Department of Election to “put the burden on” Farrell to prove that his designation is factually accurate and does not mislead voters on the November ballot.
“I thought it was laughably dishonest,” said Justin Dolezal, co-owner of Bar Part Time. Dolezal was aware of the history of candidates choosing questionable ballot designations, “but this instance is … not in the same universe.”
Small business owners said they don’t believe that Farrell would understand the daily struggles of small business owners in the city, “people who struggle with payrolls, the loss of city grants and paying rent,” Dolezal said.
Avi Ehrlich, owner of Silver Sprocket comics bookstore who signed the letter, called Farrell’s request for the small business owner designation “extremely dangerous.”
“It’s rude to present yourself to be part of a group when you are not,” said Ehrlich. “If he’s someone who wants to be supportive of small businesses, I don’t see much in his platform that shows he’s going to champion for small businesses.”
Supporting small business doesn’t appear to be front and center on Farrell’s campaign trail when talking about his vision for San Francisco as mayor. On his campaign website, it was the fourth slide on his policy priorities, and his plan is to “exempt every small business making less than $5 million in gross receipts from paying business taxes.”
“He represents a small group of wealthy people,” said Dolezal. “He’s not a friend of small businesses.”
