Ever since the 2022 school board recalls — and especially considering the abandoned effort to close schools earlier this year — the elections for seats on the San Francisco Board of Education have taken on added weight.
As of November 6, the top four vote-getters in that race are all newcomers. Jaime Huling, Parag Gupta, Supryia Ray, and John Jersin were leading, according to preliminary returns from the San Francisco Department of Elections. Huling, Gupta, and Jersin ran as a slate.
On X, Huling, a bi married mom of two children, one of whom is a second grader in the district, stated, "Thank you to everyone who supported our campaign for San Francisco Board of Education! We have big challenges ahead, but I will always fight to protect our immigrant communities, trans kids, freedom of speech, and funding for education. We will not fail our kids."
Current Board President Matt Alexander, the only incumbent seeking reelection, was trailing Jersin by several thousand votes.
Gupta returned a request for comment but did not provide one as of November 7.
Jersin stated in an email to supporters, "I expected the race to be very close, and that has driven home how important every single bit of effort has been. Hundreds upon hundreds of you donated and volunteered, and even more spread the word to friends and family. I started this journey because I care deeply about our education system, and I have been inspired by how many people have joined in the effort. As we watch the votes slowly trickle in, my heart is filled with gratitude."
It was the opposite in the race for four seats on the San Francisco Community College District Board of Trustees, where three incumbents were reelected, along with one newcomer, preliminary returns showed.
As of November 6, the top four vote-getters in that race are Heather McCarty, Aliya Chisti, Alan Wong, and Luis Zamora, according to preliminary returns. Chisti, Wong, and Zamora are all incumbents.
Zamora, a gay man who was already a candidate for the college board, was appointed by Mayor London Breed this summer after another trustee resigned. McCarty, who identifies as queer, will add out representation to the body alongside Zamora and Trustee Vick Chung, who is nonbinary and wasn't up for election this year.
Wong thanked the many LGBTQ endorsements he received, including from this publication's editorial board and elected officials.
"My broad support from the LGBTQ community made my reelection happen: I was so proud to have received endorsements from the Bay Area Reporter, Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club, former legislators Mark Leno, Tom Ammiano, state Senator Scott Wiener and California Democratic Party Vice Chair David Campos," he stated. "As City College board president, I have championed representation of the LGBTQ community, hired our first gay man as chancellor, and honored Harry Britt's legacy by naming our Multi-Use Building after him. I look forward to continuing my work as a strong ally for the LGBTQ community in my next term."
Chisti stated she and her team are "celebrating the victory of our grassroots campaign.
"Our campaign was driven by the commitment to support historically underrepresented student populations who rely on City College to build a better life," she stated. "San Franciscans sent a clear message: they want elected leaders who will work tirelessly to ensure our educational institutions thrive for generations to come. With a board meeting tomorrow, my focus remains on advancing this important work and continuing to move City College forward."
Updated, 11/7/24: This article has been updated with comments from some of the candidates.
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