The San Francisco Board of Supervisors will decide the fate of a gay mayoral nominee to the oversight body for the city's transportation agency in September. Mike Chen's appointment to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Board of Directors has been pending since May.
In the spring, Mayor London Breed had nominated him to succeed Lydia So, whom she had named to fill a vacancy on the city's planning commission. Chen would ensure the transit body has both LGBTQ and Chinese representation on it if confirmed to fill out So's term through March 1.
Its last out commissioner, gay Mission cafe and event space owner Manny Yekutiel, resigned in the fall. The mayor appoints the seven members of the SFMTA board, while the supervisors have confirmation power over her nominees.
The supervisors' Rules Committee took up Chen's nomination for the first time at its July 22 meeting. Due to "radio silence" from Chinatown transit advocates on Chen's appointment, committee member and Board President Aaron Peskin, who represents the historic neighborhood as the District 3 supervisor, moved to postpone voting on the matter in order to allow them to weigh in.
District 11 Supervisor Ahsha Safaí, the rules chair, and District 10 Supervisor Shamann Walton, its vice chair, agreed to do so. (Peskin and Safaí are both running against Breed in this year's mayoral race.)
The matter could have returned to the Rules Committee on Monday, July 29, ahead of the supervisors' summer recess. But after hearing from more groups who wanted a chance to meet with Chen, Safaí told the Bay Area Reporter that his nomination would be heard when the board returns in September. The Rules Committee canceled its meeting Monday.
"He was asked to do more outreach to stakeholders for the seat he is assuming — many in Chinatown but we've (heard from) more since the hearing that would like to meet with him like Glide Memorial's Poverty Tow Coalition," wrote Safaí in a texted reply.
Chen had said last Monday that he planned to reach out to Chinatown leaders but wasn't sure he would be able to do so in such a short time span ahead of the supervisors' meetings this week. He told the B.A.R. Monday he is moving forward with seeking confirmation.
"Yes, I plan to pursue the seat," Chen wrote in a texted reply, noting the earliest date for his next hearing is September 9 but the scheduling of it is at Safaí's discretion as committee chair.
Breed spokesperson Jeff Cretan told the B.A.R. that the mayor continues to stand behind Chen and wants to see him serve on the powerful oversight body.
"The mayor still fully supports Mike. She believes he would be a fantastic commissioner," said Cretan, noting that he wasn't opposed by anyone ahead of last week's hearing. "It is unfortunate these meetings could not have happened sooner so he could be confirmed before the board recess."
Chen, 33, is a data engineer at Coda Project, Inc. He and his boyfriend live in a one-car household in Lower Pacific Heights along the Van Ness corridor.
A member of the SFMTA Citizens' Advisory Council since January 2020, Chen highlighted his role as a transit advocate during his successful campaign for a seat on the Democratic County Central Committee on the March 5 primary ballot. He then was elevated to the role of director of internal operations for the governing body of the San Francisco Democratic Party.
The DCCC members voted to support Chen's SFMTA board nomination at their July 24 meeting. It passed with 21 members in support, three against, and eight abstaining.
When the Rules Committee members next take up the matter, they can either vote to support or reject seating Chen on the SFMTA board. They could also decide to move his nomination forward to the full board without a recommendation.
He needs at least six votes from the 11 supervisors to be confirmed. If seated, Chen will need to be reappointed next year to a full four-year term as an SFMTA commissioner and again go before the board for a confirmation vote.
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