Clint Reilly, Influential California Political Consultant, Dies At 79

Clint Reilly, a Bay Area milkman’s boy who roseate to negociate nan campaigns of California’s astir influential governmental figures, has died astatine property 79.

A savvy governmental consultant, Reilly spearheaded early winning campaigns for immoderate of nan astir recognizable names successful California politics: erstwhile U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Barbara Boxer and Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

Brandon Heist, Clint Reilly Organization’s caput of business operations, said successful a connection to The Times that Reilly died complete nan play successful San Francisco. He died surrounded by family, which requested privacy. The San Francisco Examiner newspaper, which Reilly bought successful 2020, earlier announced its owner’s decease Sunday.

“I will ever beryllium grateful for Clint’s relationship and counsel complete truthful galore years,” Pelosi said successful a statement. “As nan head of my first campaign for Congress successful 1987, he brought his unmatched strategical mind to thief create and amplify my slogan: A Voice That Will Be Heard.”

In a 1987 article, The Times attributed nan occurrence of Pelosi’s legislature bid to money — her run spent $1 million, much than her 13 opponents mixed — and a blase elector turnout programme devised by Reilly. At nan time, Pelosi was a 46-year-old mother of 5 children and a statement activistic known for raising ample sums for Democratic candidates.

Reflecting connected Pelosi’s emergence past November, Reilly wrote successful a San Francisco Examiner op-ed, “The enigma of being a governmental advisor is that you ne'er cognize really your winning candidate’s profession will move out.”

Reilly’s bequest went beyond catapulting politicians into office.

He helped toggle shape modern campaigning, said Oakland governmental advisor Jim Ross, who worked for Reilly passim nan ’90s, including connected nan predetermination and reelection campaigns of San Francisco Mayor Frank Jordan.

In nan ‘80s, Reilly was among nan first consultants to merge grassroots organizing pinch caller technology: utilizing elector rotation information to conception and target pivotal voters for turnout and persuasion, Ross said.

“It was a measurement to make judge that he spent resources effectively,” Ross said.

Reilly’s data-driven elector targeting strategies helped Feinstein, then-San Francisco mayor, hit a recall effort successful 1983. They later had a nationalist falling-out successful 1989 during Feinstein’s grounded run for governor.

Reilly’s portfolio wasn’t strictly Democratic. In 1993, he coordinated businessman Richard Riordan’s successful run for Los Angeles mayor by targeting homeowners’ anxieties astir unemployment, crime and different symptoms of municipality decay. When elected, Riordan became nan first Republican politician of Los Angeles successful 36 years — and nary Republican has been elected to that agency since.

Reilly besides advised nan California security industry.

In 1988, he led nan security industry’s losing $60-million inaugural campaigns for Propositions 104 and 106. The brace of security industry-sponsored measures was designed to compete pinch Propositions 100 and 103, initiatives backed by proceedings lawyers and user advocates who wanted to betterment nan industry.

Voters yet passed Proposition 103, which promised security complaint roll-backs and created nan elected authorities security commissioner role. But Ross said it was 1 illustration of really Reilly would hunt for imaginative ways to execute his client’s goals.

“Clint really pioneered successful that predetermination nan thought of moving competing ballot measures,” Ross said. “The betterment measurement was extraordinarily popular, it was going to pass, truthful alternatively of going astatine it directly, he ran a competing measure.”

A 1994 profile successful The Times, from erstwhile Reilly was moving Democrat Kathleen Brown’s bid for governor, described him arsenic “one of nan astir powerful–and feared–political operatives successful California.”

“When nan force knows you person (him) connected your side, a chill goes up their spine,” erstwhile San Francisco Mayor Frank Jordan told The Times. “He’s surely amended to person wrong nan shelter than outside.”

Born successful Oakland successful 1947, Reilly was drawn to authorities from an early age. He ran successfully for people president during 5th grade, pinch a run motto his sister devised: “Take a Hint, Vote for Clint.”

Reilly’s narration pinch Eugene Boyle, a Bay Area Catholic leader and wide activistic known for supporting nan Civil Rights Movement, shaped his governmental views. He was passionate astir supporting “the underdogs,” Ross said.

Reilly spent 9 years successful seminary earlier switching to prosecute politics. His large break came successful 1979, erstwhile he ran San Francisco Supervisor Quentin Kopp’s run for mayor. Kopp lost, but Reilly’s sanction stuck.

He soon developed a estimation for charging apical dollar for his run strategy services and for his dense run spending. In 1982, aft Reilly brought Boxer to a decisive superior triumph successful her first legislature race, she fired him complete excessive run spending, nan Times reported successful nan 1994 profile.

As a boss, Reilly was “extraordinarily demanding,” Ross said, adding, “I reread pieces of nonstop message 5 and six times now because of him.”

He besides had a generous side, Ross said. Reilly spent clip school young staffers nan creation of campaigning, a rarity successful politics. Even aft he near governmental consulting and shifted his attraction to existent estate, Reilly continued to thief candidates pinch fundraising and messaging.

Reilly ran unsuccessfully for San Francisco politician successful 1999 and later turned his attraction to section media and philanthropy, founding a nonprofit successful 2008 to connection scholarships for low-income students to be backstage college-preparatory precocious schools.

Reilly’s passing will not alteration nan building aliases existent operations of nan Clint Reilly Organization, Heist said. The organization’s media section includes nan San Francisco Examiner — which Reilly acquired successful 2020 alongside its now-defunct connection SF Weekly — and nan Nob Hill Gazette, which he bought successful 2016. The statement besides has a hospitality institution and existent property division.

“The organization’s committedness to its employees, partners, and nan organization stay firmly successful place,” Heist said.

Condolences poured successful from leaders crossed California connected Monday.

Gov. Gavin Newsom and his woman Jennifer Siebel Newsom successful a connection honored Reilly arsenic a “San Francisco institution” pinch a superb mind and generous heart.

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said connected social media nan metropolis “lost a civic leader who near a lasting people connected our city.”

Reilly is survived by his woman Janet and 2 daughters, Jill and Ava. Memorial arrangements will beryllium announced later.