Voters already knew a gay man would represent District 9 on the Bay Area Rapid Transit Board of Directors — it was just a question of who would be taking gay BART board director and current President Bevan Dufty's place.
And San Francisco voters made their decision November 5, choosing Edward Wright, who is currently an adviser for strategy and communication for the city's Muni public transit system. Wright is also a former co-president of the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club.
"I'm honored and grateful to San Francisco voters for putting their trust in me, and I'm proud of our grassroots campaign that won in every neighborhood in our district," Wright stated to the Bay Area Reporter on November 12. "This race was important because BART is important, and it's in jeopardy. I ran for this seat because I believe we can overcome the challenges facing BART together. And while our campaign may be over, the fight for BART's future is just beginning."
The district doesn't encompass all of San Francisco; it's heavily concentrated on the eastside, from the Western Addition in the north to the Haight and Glen Park on the west, to Croker-Amazon and Visitacion Valley to the south and the Dogpatch and South of Market to the east, excluding the Bayview. It covers the 16th Street Mission, 24th Street Mission, Glen Park, Civic Center, Powell Street, and Balboa Park (partial) BART stations.
"I am also proud of our hard-fought win," Wright stated in an email to supporters. "We were outspent 3:1, and we won by working harder and smarter. I feel deeply grateful to the tens of thousands of San Franciscans who entrusted me with their votes; and to everyone who donated a dollar, knocked on a door, hung a door hanger, or talked to friends and family about our campaign. We ran and won this together."
According to preliminary returns from the San Francisco Department of Elections on November 11, Wright bested opponent Joe Sangirardi 63% to 36.9%.
Sangirardi was endorsed by Dufty, a former San Francisco supervisor who opted not to seek reelection to the BART board after serving two terms. An elected member of the San Francisco County Democratic Party Central Committee on a moderate slate, Sangirardi is development director at California YIMBY, a housing policy nonprofit.
Sangirardi told the B.A.R. November 12, "I'm still so surprised and excited by how many volunteers I was able to recruit, and a broad coalition of labor unions who came together to endorse our campaign." (Sangirardi said he had over 100 unique volunteers and 16 union endorsements.)
"I really loved to be able to show people a positive vision of the future for BART in this city, which isn't easy to do with an agency like BART that faces existential challenges," he continued. "I am, of course, sad I won't have the opportunity — but I do wish Edward the best."
BART faces a "fiscal cliff" when federal aid runs out in 2026. While the agency has beefed up safety measures to lure riders back after the COVID pandemic, ridership is not quite up to pre-pandemic levels, though it is inching closer, the agency posted on X this week. Many people who use BART to commute still work from home multiple days a week.
Another gay candidate sought the District 9 seat. Longtime activist Michael Petrelis ran as a write-in candidate and received 15 votes, according to unofficial returns.
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