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Clint Reilly, San Francisco Political Powerbroker, Dies at 79
The longtime political operative and media owner passed away this week, closing a chapter defined by campaign work and civic projects.
How we reported this
Clint Reilly died at age 79. Reporting described him as a longtime San Francisco political operative, real estate magnate, newspaper owner, and one-time mayoral candidate.
Recent Passing and Local Reach
His death this week brings renewed attention to a career that began in the 1970s and touched multiple layers of San Francisco life. Reilly founded Clinton Reilly Campaigns and combined polling, advertising, and campaign strategy in ways that helped shape modern political consulting across California. Advisers who worked with him pointed to lasting effects on how Bay Area races were run.
Advisory Work and Civic Projects
Reilly advised major Bay Area and California politicians including Nancy Pelosi, Dianne Feinstein, Barbara Boxer, and Frank Jordan. He also contributed to specific civic efforts such as keeping the Giants in San Francisco and securing funding for the Asian Art Museum. These efforts placed him at the center of debates that defined the city for decades.
Business Holdings in the City
Reilly later built a San Francisco real estate and media empire centered on the Merchants Exchange Building, the Julia Morgan Ballroom, and ownership stakes in the Examiner and related publications. Mission Local described him as a quintessential San Franciscan, noting both his philanthropy and his outsized, sometimes polarizing influence in city politics and civic life. The combination of these roles gave him a presence that extended from campaign offices to downtown properties and newsrooms.
Legacy in Context
The range of his activities shows how one figure could move between political strategy, property development, and media ownership within the same city. No new projects or announcements have been tied directly to his passing, yet the record of his earlier work remains available through public accounts of those campaigns and buildings. Readers interested in the details can review the cited reporting for primary accounts of the specific projects and relationships involved.