George Moscone

George Richard Moscone (November 24, 1929 – November 27, 1978) was an American Democratic politician and attorney who served as mayor of San Francisco from January 1976 until his assassination in City Hall by former supervisor Dan White. Prior to his mayoralty, he held seats on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors from 1963 to 1966 and in the California State Senate from 1967 to 1976, where he advanced liberal legislation on civil rights and environmental issues. As mayor, Moscone emphasized neighborhood empowerment, diversified city government appointments, and navigated tensions from the city's shifting social fabric, including rising influence of gay rights advocates and ethnic minorities. His brief term ended abruptly when White, resentful over a denied reappointment to the Board of Supervisors, shot and killed him and Supervisor Harvey Milk, sparking widespread unrest and highlighting deep political divides in San Francisco.