1979 San Francisco mayoral election

Feinstein was seen as having more liberal support than Kopp, including support among the black and homosexual electorate.[1] In turn, Kopp was seen as having more conservative support than Feinstein.[1]

David Scott, the former president of the Board of Permit Appeals, placed third in the first round.[2] His performance, as an openly-gay candidate, was seen as another sign of the growing political influence of the city's LGBT community.[2] The city that had two years earlier seen the election of the late Harvey Milk (who had since been assassinated alongside mayor George Moscone) to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, and had the previous year seen the passage by the Board of Supervisors of an ordinance banning discrimination on sexuality in housing, jobs, and public accommodations.[2] Additionally that year the White Night riots had occurred, energizing the gay community's activism. For the runoff, Scott gave his endorsement, which had been strongly sought by both remaining candidates, to Feinstein.[1][2]

A major issue of the campaign was addressing a projected budget deficit of $117 million.[1] Kopp positioned himself as a fiscal watchdog.[1] As solutions to the deficit, he proposed leasing the city-owned zoo and golf course to private entities, making civil service reforms, and cutting costs.[1] Feinstein proposed doubling parking fines, hiking transit fares, and extending the amortization schedule for city pensions from nineteen to twenty years.[1]

Feinstein placed a focus on her ties to the administration of United States President Jimmy Carter, strategically timing her announcements of federal grants being made to the city.[1] Amid the campaign, she also announced that the United States Department of Defense had reversed its earlier decision to decrease operations at the Presidio.[1]

A rainstorm on the day of the election was faulted for what was considered a low turnout of 55%.[1] It had been believed that the lighter turnout was to Kopp's advantage, as Feinstein's more liberal supporters were viewed as less likely to vote than Kopp's more conservative supporters.[1] However, Feinstein still won.[1]