San Francisco voters residing in the odd-numbered supervisorial districts will elect their legislative representatives in November. Districts 3, 9, and 11 will see new members of the board, as they are open seats due to incumbents being termed out. Districts 1, 5, and 7 see incumbent members running for reelection against challengers. Below are our recommendations.
District 1: Connie Chan
Supervisor Connie Chan has been an effective member over the last four years. She represents the Inner Richmond, Central Richmond, Outer Richmond, Lone Mountain, Golden Gate Park, Lincoln Park, and University of San Francisco.
On public safety, Chan stated in her endorsement questionnaire that she has voted in support of every police budget since taking office and, as budget chair, including the memorandum of understanding for an SFPD salary increase, retention bonus, investment and recruitment consultant, and fully funded academy classes. She's also a co-sponsor of Proposition F, which would establish a Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP) for eligible officers. This would allow them to keep working after retiring with their pension payments deferred during this time. It's one way the city is trying to deal with the shortage of sworn officers.
On LGBTQ issues, Chan stated that she's worked with gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman on a number of initiatives to preserve the queer identity of the Castro. "Supervisor Mandelman and I work together on the Budget Committee, and he is who I look to to guide us to meet the needs and demands of the LGBTQ community," she stated. "I also support protecting the businesses that are the backbone of the Castro's queer identity."
In the Tenderloin, Chan stated she's also worked with District 5 Supervisor Dean Preston, who now represents the area, and gay District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey, who had represented it until the last redistricting. "The Tenderloin faces a lot of challenges and needs many critical services, so I work with Supervisors Preston and Dorsey to restore them during the budget process," Chan stated. "Time and time again I listen to my colleagues and work with them to support them to meet the needs of their district."
During the recent city budget process during a very difficult year, we were impressed with Chan's leadership on the Budget Committee and the end result, which did not see as deep of cuts as feared for LGBTQ nonprofits and other critical services.
Finally, Chan earns our endorsement because she is willing to change her mind. In June, Chan was part of the 7-3 vote to see lesbian Debra Walker reappointed to the police commission. Walker's nomination by Mayor London Breed had been mired in politics and received a negative recommendation from the board's Rules Committee. However, Walker lined up support, including from Chan, who voted against her two years ago when she was first approved for a seat. This time, Chan made the right call, in our opinion, and helped return LGBTQ representation to the commission.
We were impressed by Chan's willingness to vote a different way than she had before. It demonstrated Chan's growth as a supervisor and showed that she listens to our community. District 1 voters should return Chan to City Hall.
District 3: Sharon Lai, first choice
Danny Sauter, second choice
District 3, which includes North Beach, Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf, Polk Gulch, Union Square/Financial District and Russian, Telegraph and Nob Hills, has long been represented by Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin, who is serving his fifth non-consecutive term on the Board of Supervisors, after serving two terms from 2001-2009 (including two terms as the unanimously-elected board president). Peskin is now termed out and running for mayor, making for a wide-open supervisor race this year.
Two candidates in the field of six stand out: Sharon Lai and Danny Sauter.
Lai stated in her endorsement questionnaire that she's long been an ally to the LGBTQ community.
Her experience includes being a municipal urban planner for a decade, including eight years for San Francisco's planning department, as well as projects in District 3. Subsequently she was an executive in the private sector leading mixed-use development and community outreach. During the pandemic, Lai was the founding executive director of a homeless housing nonprofit, and built the city's first tiny homes interim homeless housing community with philanthropic funds.
On homelessness, Lai advocates for more shelter opportunities, including the aforementioned tiny homes. She stated she would "continue to invest in transitional housing that centers cultural needs including LGBTQ-specific sites. During my work in homeless housing development, I had set aside 15% of the projects for Transitional Age Youth, a significant portion of whom are queer youth."
Lai previously served on the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency board, and stated that during her tenure she supported the shared spaces parklets during the COVID pandemic.
On housing, Lai touted her planning experience. "I believe that San Francisco needs to be a city where one can both work and live," she stated. "Middle-income affordable housing is a critical need, and often overlooked for deeper levels of affordability. As the only candidate that has delivered housing in San Francisco, I will be a strong champion of leveraging public resources to deliver workforce and middle-income housing."
Lai supports recruiting more police officers to fill the current 500 vacant positions.
Overall, Lai has a lot of experience on housing, one of the key issues this year. And, as she stated, representation matters. "District 3 has a deep immigrant history and population," she stated. "As someone who grew up in Hong Kong and moved to California by myself at the age of 16, I have shared and lived experience with a significant portion of the community. When elected, I will be the first native Cantonese-speaking District 3 supervisor, and would be proud to serve the district with the oldest Chinatown in the country with cultural competence."
We were also impressed with Sauter, a straight man who is the executive director of San Francisco Neighborhood Centers Together and has served in various roles in other neighborhood groups. In terms of programs supporting neighborhood commercial corridors, such as in the Castro, Sauter supports expanding the Vacant to Vibrant program that brings pop-ups to vacant storefronts, and lowering permitting barriers. On housing, Sauter wants to pass a special use district to create more senior and family homes, he stated in his endorsement questionnaire.
On public safety, Sauter supports hiring more first responders, including police and 911 dispatchers, with a special priority on hiring more Cantonese-speaking first responders.
Lai and Sauter are both great candidates, and we endorse them in that order for District 3 supervisor.
District 5: Dean Preston
We don't always agree with Supervisor Dean Preston, a straight ally who represents the Haight, Alamo Square and, most recently, the Tenderloin, but we admire his tenacity and how he has stood up for the LGBTQ community. Case in point, after unarmed Black trans man Banko Brown was fatally shot by a Walgreens security guard at a downtown store in April 2023, Preston authored legislation to ensure that local laws do not allow private security guards to draw weapons in defense of property only. The Board of Supervisors passed it unanimously.
Since the Tenderloin was included in District 5 following the last redistricting, Preston worked with the Transgender District to have the city landmark the Turk and Taylor intersection to commemorate the 1966 Compton's Cafeteria riot.
On public safety, Preston stated in his endorsement questionnaire that the city needs to do more than just hire additional police officers. He pointed to certain calls being diverted from officers to non-police street teams, which started in 2020, and noted that the change should be reflected in estimates about what constitutes full staffing for the department. And he's supportive of the community ambassadors program, which he brought to District 5.
We think Preston ably represents his constituents and we endorse him for reelection.
District 7: Myrna Melgar
Supervisor Myrna Melgar, a straight ally, has been effective in representing this westside district that includes West Portal, Westwood Park, Forest Hill, Parkmerced, Golden Gate Heights, Inner Sunset, St. Francis Woods, Miraloma, and Monterey Heights. For the last four years, she has served as chair of the board's Land Use and Transportation Committee. She is also a former planning commissioner and building inspection commissioner.
On public safety, Melgar wrote in her endorsement questionnaire that the budget is adequate to support full staffing levels at the San Francisco Police Department. "It has been recruitment that has fallen short," she stated. "Because SFPD needs to operate 24/7, we have filled the gap through overtime, which is very expensive, and also hard on the workers and their families. As we recruit more officers (and we are making progress), I expect that the amount of overtime spending will decrease as well."
Regarding the city's unhoused residents, Melgar stated, "The city should implement the 'Shelter for All' legislation passed by the Board of Supervisors last year, in addition to fully expending Prop C funds for supportive housing." She was referring to the ballot measure that voters passed in 2018 that imposes an additional gross receipts tax of 0.175% to 0.69% on combined taxable gross receipts over $50 million, with the funds going to homelessness services and housing.
On support for commercial corridors, such as the Castro, Melgar stated she's supportive of activations, incentives, and flexible zoning. She supports the revitalization of Jane Warner and Harvey Milk plazas as well as capital improvement grants and loans, and increasing public safety ambassador hours.
Addressing the lack of middle-income housing, Melgar stated that she's working on legislation to create a program to finance, refinance, and provide technical support for cooperatively owned housing, "which in other cities like New York and Washington, D.C. has been the premier way middle and working class people have been able to achieve housing stability but San Francisco has not produced in five decades."
Melgar has been a consistent ally on the board and deserves to be reelected.
District 9: Roberto Hernandez, first choice
Stephen Torres, second choice
District 9, which includes the Mission, Portola, and Bernal Heights, is an open seat this year because Supervisor Hillary Ronen is termed out after eight years. There are seven candidates running, and we believe two of them can best represent the area: Roberto Hernandez, a straight Latino ally, and Stephen Torres, a queer Latino man.
Hernandez is a longtime community leader who ran the Carnaval celebration for 40 years. He stated in his endorsement questionnaire that he's also led efforts to build 1,400 units of affordable housing, as well as other programs, such as one to escort seniors. During the pandemic, he stated that he launched the Mission Food Hub, which provided essential groceries, rental assistance, employment, and health services, and support for small businesses to 9,000 families.
On public safety, Hernandez supports the ambassador program and stated he'll work on career pathways to help recruit community members to apply for vacant law enforcement positions. "I'm committed to taking a proactive approach to make our communities safer and ensure everyone feels protected," he stated, adding that includes LGBTQ members, seniors, and communities of color.
Looking at mental health and homeless issues, Hernandez stated, "I support mental health beds and services to address the mental health and addiction crisis. I believe that addiction is a public health issue, and those who use drugs to self-medicate should be in housing that can address their medical needs." He also advocates for family shelters to connect people to wraparound services, and stated domestic violence survivors should receive immediate assistance.
A lifelong District 9 resident, Hernandez knows the areas he would represent and is in the best position to create positive outcomes.
Torres, who previously served on the city's entertainment commission and was a leader of the Castro LGBTQ Cultural District, has called District 9 home for most of the 25 years he's lived in San Francisco.
He took a more nuanced view of the police staffing shortage. "I believe the San Francisco Police Department serves an important role in public safety, and should be fully staffed and adequately funded," he stated. "With funding and a competitive salary ensured, however, we need to ask ourselves as leaders, why they continue to suffer from a staffing shortfall." And he would want to look at "what accountability and reform measures in addition to affordable and sustainable living are required to ensure that law enforcement represents the community they serve," he added. "The LGBTQ community remembers well how quickly relationships deteriorate when law enforcement is siloed away from the community culturally."
Torres favors a compassionate approach toward those who are unhoused. "Moving encampments around is simply that and could have potentially catastrophic humanitarian, environmental, and public safety impacts," he stated. "I have said before that it is a disservice to ourselves as a society to treat the homelessness epidemic as anything but what it is: a humanitarian crisis."
Looking at revitalization post-pandemic, Torres stated that neighborhoods are key. While he supports some efforts to reimagine downtown, areas like the Castro, Mission, Portola, and Bernal Heights are what makes the city special. "This involves not just one strategy, but a multifaceted approach that allocates resources to small businesses, cultural programs and organizations, environmental stabilization, and health and human services accessibility," he stated. "As constituent groups will tell you, they are already doing this work. It is my job as supervisor to support that."
Overall, Torres would bring a queer and Latino lens to the Board of Supervisors and focus on the needs of his constituents.
We endorse Hernandez and Torres in that order.
District 11: Ernest "EJ" Jones, first choice
Michael Lai, second choice
District 11 will see a new supervisor elected because the incumbent, Ahsha Safaí, is termed out and running for mayor. The district includes the Excelsior, Oceanview, and Outer Mission. There are seven candidates running and, of those, we endorse Ernest "EJ" Jones and Michael Lai.
Jones is a former aide to Safaí. He was born and raised in the city and has called District 11 home for many years.
On public safety, Jones stated in his endorsement questionnaire that law enforcement is just one part of that. "A more just and accountable plan for increasing public safety must include expanding violence prevention and intervention efforts, prioritizing the needs of victims and survivors, investing in restorative justice programs, and ensuring oversight and accountability in law enforcement," he noted. He added that accountability is important for the police department and he'll advocate for an independent police commission. "Community demands, such as augmented foot and bicycle patrol units, should be prioritized, and disparities in arrests and use of force against Black San Franciscans must be rectified," he added.
An aspect of public safety relates to homelessness. Jones stated that he would invest in and increase the availability of permanent supportive housing options, integrating housing with support services to help individuals maintain stable living situations and focus on providing comprehensive mental health and substance abuse treatment programs to address the root causes of homelessness and support long-term recovery and stability.
As for revitalizing the city, Jones is supportive of the mayor's downtown plan, but that's just the beginning. "Our plan has to focus on reviving the tourism industry and bringing the fun back to San Francisco," he stated. "We must showcase our collection of art and culture on full display. We have to host festivals, concerts, and cultural events in lieu of the dwindled convention industry."
On housing, Jones favors higher density along transit and commercial corridors. Other ideas include "increasing funding and tax incentives for a range of housing, from deeply affordable, middle-income, worker, and market-rate housing; advancing existing community mapping to pinpoint potential sites prime for affordable housing; and encouraging office to residential conversions through tax abatement, which reduces project startup costs," he stated.
Regarding working with the queer community, Jones stated, "I am committed to protecting and enhancing LGBTQ cultural spaces, whether it's creating safe community centers or ensuring there's accessible housing for LGBTQ youth and seniors."
Jones has the experience to be an effective supervisor.
Lai, a straight ally and member of the city's Democratic County Central Committee, has recently moved to the district.
In terms of police staffing, Lai would look at recruiting efforts to attract top-notch candidates, he stated.
On homelessness, Lai advocated a balanced approach. "We must be laser-focused on passing policies that make it easier to build affordable housing, which addresses a root cause of homelessness," he stated. "In the interim, we must offer comprehensive and connected supports to those who are currently in encampments. This means expanding shelter options and coordinating with citywide nonprofits in these efforts." He noted that better coordination is needed between law enforcement and mental health professionals for those who are experiencing a mental health crisis.
Lai supports the mayor's downtown revitalization plans. "It is so important that we bring back San Francisco's vibrancy and liveliness," he noted. And he advocated for new events in neighborhoods, like Chow Fun, an Asian dine-around in District 11 that he helped with.
In terms of the Castro, Lai stated that he would work to support LGBTQ-owned small businesses and work with the district supervisor.
Lai has some great ideas that would serve his constituents well.
We endorse Jones and Lai in that order.
Never miss a story! Keep up to date on the latest news, arts, politics, entertainment, and nightlife.
Sign up for the Bay Area Reporter's free weekday email newsletter. You'll receive our newsletters and special offers from our community partners.
Support California's largest LGBTQ newsroom. Your one-time, monthly, or annual contribution advocates for LGBTQ communities. Amplify a trusted voice providing news, information, and cultural coverage to all members of our community, regardless of their ability to pay -- Donate today!