The Nation’s Top YIMBY Legislator Crushes His Socialist Opponent

California Sen. Scott Weiner (D–San Francisco), the country’s top YIMBY (“Yes in my backyard”) legislator handily won re-election against a democratic socialist challenger who ran against Weiner’s friendliness to new private housing development.

As of Wednesday morning, Weiner had managed to capture 59 percent of the vote in his reelection bid, according to the city’s Department of Elections. Opponent Jackie Fielder, an instructor at San Francisco State University and socialist activist, captured a little over 40 percent of the vote in the two-person race.

“Wow. Thank you for re-electing me with ~60% of the vote. I’m so honored to continue representing you in the Senate,” tweeted Weiner the night of the vote. “Nearly $1.5M was spent by or on behalf of my opponent & we prevailed.”

Wiener is hardly a libertarian. He has, however, been a fierce advocate for repealing the miles of red tape and regulation that have produced California’s housing shortage and the sky-high rents and housing prices that come with it.

He’s sponsored a number of bills that make it easier for people to build new housing, and harder for local governments to reject it. Wiener’s signature, but ultimately unsuccessful reform this year was S.B. 50, which would have legalized the development of fourplexs statewide, and allowed midrise apartments near job centers