SF Political Candidate Accused Of Sexual Assault Drops Out Of Race

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — A political candidate running for San Francisco supervisor has dropped out of the race following another sexual assault accusation against him.

Manny Yekutiel, who was running to become the city's District 8 Supervisor, was accused by multiple people of sexual assault. The accusations first came to light in June, when The San Francisco Standard published a report from a person claiming Yekutiel "painfully clenched his testicles and tried to penetrate him with a finger" during a gathering at a Mission home.

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Yekutiel was again accused of sexual assault by a couple that claimed the former candidate groped them at a Pride event in 2023. A second Standard report published Monday laid out the accusations.

This led to a wave of supporters, including Mayor Daniel Lurie, withdrawing their endorsements of Yekutiel.

"When I endorsed Manny in September, I believed he was the best candidate to represent District 8," Lurie said in a statement, according to ABC. "My endorsement is a statement of my confidence in someone's character and leadership, and in light of the additional accounts reported Thursday, I am withdrawing it."

Despite denying the accusations, Yekutiel announced that he'd be dropping out of the race after "a great deal of reflection."

"I am not admitting to having assaulted anyone and some of the things that are being said about me are fundamentally untrue," Yekutiel said in a statement online. "But I am deeply sorry for any boundaries that I crossed. I'm going to take this time to work on myself."

Yekutiel says he's not the "typical candidate" and alludes to dropping out after navigating San Francisco's political landscape, which has left him with "very little light left in my heart."

Although the campaign is ending, Yekutiel said this was "just the beginning" in helping build a better San Francisco.

"This was never just about winning an election for me," Yekutiel said. "It was about serving a city that has given me so much and bringing people together around the belief that San Francisco can once again take on big challenges with ambition, creativity, and confidence."

With Yekutiel out of the race, Gary McCoy, Michael Nguyen, and Darishi Patel now compete to lead District 8.