Clint Reilly Dies at 79, Ending Career That Helped Shape California Democrats
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 23
Clint Reilly Dies at 79, Ending Career That Helped Shape California Democrats
2 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 23
Summary
Clint Reilly, the hard-charging San Francisco political consultant who advised Nancy Pelosi, Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, died Saturday in a hospital at 79.
Chronic lung disease caused his death, family friend Frank Holland said, and the announcement came through The San Francisco Examiner, the paper Reilly bought in 2020 after a long-running feud with its management.
Reilly built a reputation in the 1980s and 1990s for sharp voter targeting, early use of computer-driven demographics and attack-heavy direct mail and TV ads that helped power winning California campaigns.
His influence extended beyond Democratic politics: he guided Republican Richard Riordan to Los Angeles' 1993 mayoral win and spent $3.5 million of his own money on an unsuccessful 1999 San Francisco mayoral run.