SF Democratic Party deadlocked on Engardio recall after tied vote

<div class="content-grid article-content"><div class="Metadata_container__fxAzw"><div class="Metadata_metadata__W_0LF"><span>By <a class="" href="https://sfstandard.com/author/han-li/">Han Li</a></span><time datetime="2025-08-28T15:09:02.159Z">Published Aug. 28, 2025 • 8:09am</time></div></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">After hours of contentious debate, the San Francisco Democratic Party voted Wednesday night to remain neutral on the recall of Supervisor Joel Engardio, who represents the Sunset District and has faced backlash for supporting the Great Highway closure and creation of a popular seaside park.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The Democratic County Central Committee, which has 32 members, including local, state, and federal officials, voted 11 to oppose the recall, 11 for “no endorsement,” and none in favor. The rest of the members abstained or were absent.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Because no position reached a simple majority, the party effectively took no stance in the race. That outcome marks a victory for the recall campaign, which had pushed for the party to stay neutral, while Engardio’s supporters had lobbied heavily for a formal “no on recall” endorsement.</p></div><div class=""></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">After the result was announced, recall supporters in the room cheered. Dozens of residents spoke in support of the recall during the public comment period, which lasted more than two hours. A smaller group of Engardio supporters also attended and spoke.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Engardio did not attend the meeting. His campaign said he was out door-knocking in the district and talking with voters. He did not comment on the DCCC vote.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Parag Gupta, a DCCC member and Board of Education commissioner, voted “no” to oppose the recall. He said that normalizing recalls in the middle of an official’s term risks eroding trust in democratic institutions.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“Recalls should be reserved for egregious misconduct, corruption, or dereliction of duty, not used as a political weapon when we disagree on policy,” Gupta said.</p></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">But <a data-post-id="587de38c-9039-43c5-8d73-74f199fd8014" href="https://sfstandard.com/2022/11/16/engardio-heads-toward-historic-victory/">former Sunset District Supervisor</a> Gordon Mar, who’s a DCCC member, urged his colleagues to remain neutral.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“This is a decision for District Four voters alone,” Mar said. “Our community deserves to weigh this extremely divisive issue without further outside influence.”</p></div><figure class="ImageBlock_ImageFigure__ZnquR grid-wide inset-image mobile-grid-full mobile-grid-full" data-align="wide"><div class="relative"><div><img alt='A man in glasses and a blue suit stands indoors near a computer, with a painting of a bear holding a "SUNSET" surfboard and a brightly lit room behind him.' class="block lazyloaded" data-nimg="1" decoding="async" height="1667" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 1001px) 800px, (min-width: 768px) 100vw, 100vw" src="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_9nudukia6t0c7bs5eodnvfmt3l/-S3840x2561-FPNG" srcset="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_9nudukia6t0c7bs5eodnvfmt3l/-S640x427-FPNG 640w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_9nudukia6t0c7bs5eodnvfmt3l/-S750x500-FPNG 750w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_9nudukia6t0c7bs5eodnvfmt3l/-S768x512-FPNG 768w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_9nudukia6t0c7bs5eodnvfmt3l/-S828x552-FPNG 828w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_9nudukia6t0c7bs5eodnvfmt3l/-S1024x683-FPNG 1024w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_9nudukia6t0c7bs5eodnvfmt3l/-S1080x720-FPNG 1080w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_9nudukia6t0c7bs5eodnvfmt3l/-S1200x800-FPNG 1200w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_9nudukia6t0c7bs5eodnvfmt3l/-S1920x1280-FPNG 1920w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_9nudukia6t0c7bs5eodnvfmt3l/-S2048x1366-FPNG 2048w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_9nudukia6t0c7bs5eodnvfmt3l/-S3840x2561-FPNG 3840w" style="color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' viewBox='0 0 2500 1667'%3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw=='/%3E%3C/svg%3E&quot;)" width="2500"/></div></div><figcaption class="basis-full mt-[10px] text-xs text-gray-550 font-inter leading-[18px]">Gordon Mar, a former Sunset supervisor, voted for “no endorsement” on the Engardio recall at the DCCC meeting.</figcaption></figure><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">With major political figures such as Mayor Daniel Lurie staying out of the race, the DCCC’s endorsement is viewed as one of the most coveted left in the campaign. Engardio has strong backing from the committee’s pro-housing YIMBYs and urbanist bloc, the same faction that pushed the board to endorse Proposition K last year.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">No DCCC member voted to support the recall, showing that the city’s political establishment did not support the effort, despite the high emotions in Sunset driving the movement.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">"Even the billionaire-funded DCCC knows Engardio will be recalled," Jamie Hughes, the recall campaign leader, said after the vote.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Sources said another faction of the committee, led by chair Nancy Tung, pushed for a “no endorsement” position to avoid alienating voters in the Sunset, particularly Chinese American residents who have increasingly <u><a data-post-id="9ef275bf-7bc5-487e-ba79-27cecbed522a" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/02/20/asian-voters-san-francisco-trump-neighborhood/">distanced themselves from Democrats</a></u> since last year’s election.</p></div><figure class="ImageBlock_ImageFigure__ZnquR grid-wide inset-image mobile-grid-full mobile-grid-full" data-align="wide"><div class="relative"><div><img alt="" class="block lazyloaded" data-nimg="1" decoding="async" height="2000" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 1001px) 800px, (min-width: 768px) 100vw, 100vw" src="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_14eh9gqqvd1v318ql15701dl0f/-S3840x2560-FPNG" srcset="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_14eh9gqqvd1v318ql15701dl0f/-S640x427-FPNG 640w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_14eh9gqqvd1v318ql15701dl0f/-S750x500-FPNG 750w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_14eh9gqqvd1v318ql15701dl0f/-S768x512-FPNG 768w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_14eh9gqqvd1v318ql15701dl0f/-S828x552-FPNG 828w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_14eh9gqqvd1v318ql15701dl0f/-S1024x683-FPNG 1024w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_14eh9gqqvd1v318ql15701dl0f/-S1080x720-FPNG 1080w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_14eh9gqqvd1v318ql15701dl0f/-S1200x800-FPNG 1200w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_14eh9gqqvd1v318ql15701dl0f/-S1920x1280-FPNG 1920w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_14eh9gqqvd1v318ql15701dl0f/-S2048x1365-FPNG 2048w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_14eh9gqqvd1v318ql15701dl0f/-S3840x2560-FPNG 3840w" style="color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' viewBox='0 0 3000 2000'%3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw=='/%3E%3C/svg%3E&quot;)" width="3000"/></div></div><figcaption class="basis-full mt-[10px] text-xs text-gray-550 font-inter leading-[18px]">Chair Nancy Tung speaks at the DCCC meeting. <span class="image-caption-divider"> | </span><span class="image-credit"><span class="sr-only">Source: </span>Thomas Sawano/The Standard</span></figcaption></figure><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The timing of the vote, just three weeks before the Sept. 16 election with ballots already being cast, is expected to blunt the impact of any endorsements.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Tung did not confirm or deny her behind-the-scenes effort, but said that Democratic Party members voted as they saw fit and that she respects the different voices within the party.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The Department of Elections <u><a href="https://www.sfelections.org/tools/election_data/turnout_vbm.php">reported</a></u> that 7,600 ballots had already been returned, with the turnout rate reaching roughly 15 percent.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Some votes on the DCCC drew particular attention. Several progressive members chose to abstain. House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, a supporter of Proposition K, voted to oppose the recall.</p></div></div>

Engardio recall ballots are sent to 50,000 Sunset voters. What to know about Prop. A

<div class="content-grid article-content"><div class="Metadata_container__fxAzw"><div class="Metadata_metadata__W_0LF"><span>By <a class="" href="https://sfstandard.com/author/han-li/">Han Li</a></span><time datetime="2025-08-14T13:00:00.000Z">Published Aug. 14, 2025 • 6:00am</time></div></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">More than 50,000 voters in the Sunset will receive ballots this week for the Sept. 16 special election to recall Supervisor Joel Engardio, whose support for closing the Great Highway to create a park ignited a <u><a data-post-id="ebc35606-6d12-4192-b2e8-dfbb3aa06fa1" href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/10/02/great-highway-controversy-race-class/">political firestorm</a></u> on the city’s west side.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The recall, one of the city's most contentious political issues in recent years, will appear on the ballots as Proposition A. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">While the election is limited to District 4 residents, the recall is about more than one neighborhood’s political feud. It reflects a <u><a data-post-id="fa4db61c-370f-40be-898c-a15e8a7489f0" href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/07/19/san-francisco-great-highway-closure-ballot-measure-cars/">broader ideological and lifestyle debate</a></u> in San Francisco between drivers who rely on vehicle access and urban advocates for bicyclists, pedestrians, and public transit.  </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Jason McDaniel, an associate professor of political science at San Francisco State University, said Engardio’s survival will depend less on changing voters’ minds than on getting a critical mass of supporters to the polls.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“There’s not much he can do to dissuade people who are against the park,” McDaniel said. “So it’s going to be about turning out others who like the park and who don’t care as much about [the road closure].”</p></div><h2 class="heading-block article-body text-left"><b>How did Prop. A get on the ballot?</b></h2><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Engardio and <u><a href="https://www.sf.gov/sites/default/files/2024-08/Legal%20Text%20--%20Reserving%20the%20Upper%20Great%20Highway%20as%20Public%20Open%20Recreation%20Space.pdf">four other supervisors</a></u> wrote Proposition K for the November 2024 ballot. The successful measure closed a portion of the Great Highway to cars and converted the four-lane roadway to a park, which opened this spring as Sunset Dunes. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The road had already been closed to cars during the weekends for pedestrian use; the permanent park has since attracted <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DKKc22wpgEm/">tens of thousands of visitors</a>, according to city officials. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">During a Wednesday San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laVGhlOZORc">endorsement hearing for Prop. A</a>, Engardio said the park is good for the environment and has benefitted local businesses while creating "joy" for generations of San Franciscans. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“Prop. K was decided by voters in the most open, transparent, and democratic process possible,” Engardio said. “Sunset Dunes has become one of the most visited parks in San Francisco, so let's turn our focus on more pressing matters facing our city and nation." </p></div><figure class="ImageBlock_ImageFigure__ZnquR inset-image mobile-grid-full mobile-grid-full" data-align="none"><div class="relative"><div><img alt='Three men stand on a beach, one holding a "RECALL ENGARDIO" sign in yellow and black, another taking a photo, and the third holding a coffee cup.' class="block lazyloaded" data-nimg="1" decoding="async" height="2001" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 1001px) 600px, (min-width: 768px) 700px, 100vw" src="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_jvh46c82jp1clbthjbts8sdd56/-S3840x2561-FPNG" srcset="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_jvh46c82jp1clbthjbts8sdd56/-S640x427-FPNG 640w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_jvh46c82jp1clbthjbts8sdd56/-S750x500-FPNG 750w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_jvh46c82jp1clbthjbts8sdd56/-S768x512-FPNG 768w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_jvh46c82jp1clbthjbts8sdd56/-S828x552-FPNG 828w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_jvh46c82jp1clbthjbts8sdd56/-S1024x683-FPNG 1024w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_jvh46c82jp1clbthjbts8sdd56/-S1080x720-FPNG 1080w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_jvh46c82jp1clbthjbts8sdd56/-S1200x800-FPNG 1200w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_jvh46c82jp1clbthjbts8sdd56/-S1920x1281-FPNG 1920w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_jvh46c82jp1clbthjbts8sdd56/-S2048x1366-FPNG 2048w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_jvh46c82jp1clbthjbts8sdd56/-S3840x2561-FPNG 3840w" style="color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' viewBox='0 0 3000 2001'%3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw=='/%3E%3C/svg%3E&quot;)" width="3000"/></div></div><figcaption class="basis-full mt-[10px] text-xs text-gray-550 font-inter leading-[18px]">Recall supporters were outraged at the Great Highway's closure.<span class="image-caption-divider"> | </span><span class="image-credit"><span class="sr-only">Source: </span>Autumn DeGrazia/The Standard</span></figcaption></figure><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Engardio, a moderate Democrat who rose to power after supporting the successful recalls of three school board members and former District Attorney Chesa Boudin in 2022, underestimated opposition to Prop K. in his district.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The measure passed with 55% of the citywide vote but was supported by only 36% of voters in District 4. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The political fallout was swift. Organizers who had opposed Prop.  K <u><a data-post-id="42c863ed-e6a3-403d-9de9-9f3d4d44d361" href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/12/03/recall-campaign-joel-engardio-prop-k-great-highway/">launched an effort to recall</a></u> Engardio soon after the election and <u><a data-post-id="68d66eb2-3b3b-4e73-bc1a-a70b4f16ead6" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/01/22/great-highway-recall-signature-gathering-joel-engardio/">spent four months</a></u> gathering the necessary 9,911 signatures to qualify it for the ballot. The Department of Elections <u><a data-post-id="f2e23231-2f10-40a3-835a-157ca212afed" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/05/29/joel-engardio-supervisor-recall-september/">called for a special election</a></u> in May after certifying those signatures.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“Engardio refused to listen and ignored the voices of the very people who elected him to office,” Jamie Hughes, the recall campaign’s leader, said in a statement to the DCCC. “It was a betrayal that was felt deeply across the entire Sunset district.”</p></div><h2 class="heading-block article-body text-left"><b>Who’s supporting the recall?</b></h2><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Supporters of the recall include a long list of independent District 4 residents, along with the Chinese American Democratic Club, the San Francisco Republican Party, and retired judges Quentin Kopp, Lillian Sing, and Julie Tang.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“[Engardio] failed his only job, which is to listen to represent the district,<b>”</b> Selena Chu, a Sunset resident and vice president of the Chinese American Democratic Club, said during the DCCC endorsement hearing. “I am very disappointed. This is not someone who's willing to work with the district.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The recall campaign has raised roughly $260,000, according to campaign finance records, with many of those donations from residents of the city’s west side. The latest campaign filing shows that the recall campaign has more than $142,000 in debt and $64,000 cash on hand. </p></div><h2 class="heading-block article-body text-left"><b>Who’s opposing it?</b></h2><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Engardio has secured a<u><a href="https://www.stoptheengardiorecall.com/endorsements2"> broad coalition of high-profile supporters</a></u> who are fighting to keep him in office, including state Sen. Scott Wiener and Supervisors Matt Dorsey, Bilal Mahmood, Danny Sauter, Stephen Sherrill, and Board President Rafael Mandelman.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">YIMBY groups, environmental organizations such as the Sierra Club, a handful of local unions, and LGBTQ+ advocates are also backing Engardio.</p></div><figure class="ImageBlock_ImageFigure__ZnquR inset-image mobile-grid-full mobile-grid-full" data-align="none"><div class="relative"><div><img alt="" class="block lazyloaded" data-nimg="1" decoding="async" height="2001" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 1001px) 600px, (min-width: 768px) 700px, 100vw" src="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_s1fbl6apkp18he0tejq1de1h4g/-S3840x2561-FPNG" srcset="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_s1fbl6apkp18he0tejq1de1h4g/-S640x427-FPNG 640w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_s1fbl6apkp18he0tejq1de1h4g/-S750x500-FPNG 750w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_s1fbl6apkp18he0tejq1de1h4g/-S768x512-FPNG 768w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_s1fbl6apkp18he0tejq1de1h4g/-S828x552-FPNG 828w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_s1fbl6apkp18he0tejq1de1h4g/-S1024x683-FPNG 1024w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_s1fbl6apkp18he0tejq1de1h4g/-S1080x720-FPNG 1080w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_s1fbl6apkp18he0tejq1de1h4g/-S1200x800-FPNG 1200w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_s1fbl6apkp18he0tejq1de1h4g/-S1920x1281-FPNG 1920w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_s1fbl6apkp18he0tejq1de1h4g/-S2048x1366-FPNG 2048w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_s1fbl6apkp18he0tejq1de1h4g/-S3840x2561-FPNG 3840w" style="color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' viewBox='0 0 3000 2001'%3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw=='/%3E%3C/svg%3E&quot;)" width="3000"/></div></div><figcaption class="basis-full mt-[10px] text-xs text-gray-550 font-inter leading-[18px]">“Prop. K was decided by voters in the most open, transparent, and democratic process possible,” Engardio said.<span class="image-caption-divider"> | </span><span class="image-credit"><span class="sr-only">Source: </span>Autumn DeGrazia/The Standard</span></figcaption></figure><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The anti-recall campaign has raised more than $720,000. Top donors include crypto billionaire Chris Larsen, who poured $200,000 into the campaign, and Yelp cofounder Jeremy Stoppelman, who donated $175,000. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Others who’ve opened their pockets to defend Engardio include Twilio cofounder John Wolthuis, the San Francisco Police Officers Association, investor Ron Conway, and Y Combinator executive Garry Tan.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Those who have remained notably silent on the recall include Mayor Daniel Lurie, another centrist Democrat who has relied on Engardio’s vote to pass his policy priorities.</p></div><h2 class="heading-block article-body text-left"><b>How can you vote?</b></h2><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The Department of Elections sent the ballots to registered voters in District 4 on Thursday with a voter information pamphlet and a prestamped return envelope.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">John Arntz, director of the SF Department of Elections, said voters can return a ballot by mail; drop it off at one of three official drop boxes, at the Ortega Branch Library, Parkside Branch Library, and City Hall; or vote in person on Election Day at the district’s 20 polling places.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Voters can track the status of their ballot on the city’s <u><a href="http://sfelections.gov/voterportal">voter portal</a></u>.</p></div><h2 class="heading-block article-body text-left"><b>What happens next?</b></h2><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">If Engardio survives the election, he will have to defend his seat again when he’s up for reelection next year. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">If voters remove him, Lurie will appoint an interim supervisor to Engardio’s spot on the board. That person would need to run again in 2026 to secure a full term.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The mayor’s office has been tight-lipped about whether it has started a behind-the-scenes search for potential replacements.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">But the recall comes at a critical time for Lurie. The mayor needs a majority vote on the 11-member Board of Supervisors to finalize his citywide upzoning plan, one of his top policy priorities for the year. The District 4 supervisor, whether it remains Engardio or becomes Lurie’s appointee, will play a key role in determining the fate of Lurie’s plan, as many west-side residents are opposed to adding multifamily housing to the area.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The recall supporters have more to gain from the election than just removing Engardio. They hope that his ousting will pave the groundwork to stop progress on the Great Highway’s park conversion.</p></div><figure class="ImageBlock_ImageFigure__ZnquR inset-image mobile-grid-full mobile-grid-full" data-align="none"><div class="relative"><div><img alt="" class="block lazyloaded" data-nimg="1" decoding="async" height="2001" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 1001px) 600px, (min-width: 768px) 700px, 100vw" src="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_nr3cv348415vnfapap4rckjl60/-S3840x2561-FPNG" srcset="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_nr3cv348415vnfapap4rckjl60/-S640x427-FPNG 640w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_nr3cv348415vnfapap4rckjl60/-S750x500-FPNG 750w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_nr3cv348415vnfapap4rckjl60/-S768x512-FPNG 768w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_nr3cv348415vnfapap4rckjl60/-S828x552-FPNG 828w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_nr3cv348415vnfapap4rckjl60/-S1024x683-FPNG 1024w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_nr3cv348415vnfapap4rckjl60/-S1080x720-FPNG 1080w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_nr3cv348415vnfapap4rckjl60/-S1200x800-FPNG 1200w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_nr3cv348415vnfapap4rckjl60/-S1920x1281-FPNG 1920w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_nr3cv348415vnfapap4rckjl60/-S2048x1366-FPNG 2048w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_nr3cv348415vnfapap4rckjl60/-S3840x2561-FPNG 3840w" style="color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' viewBox='0 0 3000 2001'%3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw=='/%3E%3C/svg%3E&quot;)" width="3000"/></div></div><figcaption class="basis-full mt-[10px] text-xs text-gray-550 font-inter leading-[18px]">The Great Highway was once a critical transportation route for the west side but has since been converted to a popular park.<span class="image-caption-divider"> | </span><span class="image-credit"><span class="sr-only">Source: </span>Reza Tabesh for The Standard</span></figcaption></figure><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">A lawsuit to overturn Prop. K <u><a data-post-id="63b90e9d-acb5-4fcf-af78-4fdceced16b3" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/03/10/prop-k-lawsuit-great-highway-closure/">is pending</a></u> at San Francisco Superior Court, while Supervisor Connie Chan, a critic of the road’s closure, has considered introducing a ballot measure to <u><a data-post-id="c79fe753-1ac6-415a-9ca8-bbebe4be491f" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/04/09/great-highway-connie-chan-election/">reopen it to cars</a></u>.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">To move that proposal forward, Chan would need support from three other supervisors. If the Sunset ends up with a new representative, that vote could be their first — and probably most consequential — test.</p></div></div>

Supervisor Joel Engardio to face recall election over Proposition K controversy


<p>Supervisor Joel Engardio will face a special recall election Sept. 16 over his role in passing the controversial November ballot measure to close the Great Highway to cars.</p>



<p>The Department of Elections on Thursday announced that it had finished the signature verification process and found that the campaign to recall Engardio had submitted 10,523 valid signatures. That surpassed the threshold of at least 9,911 valid signatures — representing 20% of registered voters in Engardio&#8217;s District 4 — needed to trigger the special election.</p>



<p>&#8220;With the petition deemed sufficient, the department will proceed with preparations for a special municipal election,&#8221; the city agency said in a statement.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" height="1474" width="2500" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/8728968100_greathighwaytraffic_010_494722.jpg?w=2500" alt="The image shows an aerial view of a road with cyclists and people walking, casting long shadows on the pavement. There's vegetation lining the road." class="wp-image-388700" srcset="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/8728968100_greathighwaytraffic_010_494722.jpg 3675w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/8728968100_greathighwaytraffic_010_494722.jpg?resize=300,177 300w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/8728968100_greathighwaytraffic_010_494722.jpg?resize=768,453 768w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/8728968100_greathighwaytraffic_010_494722.jpg?resize=2500,1474 2500w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/8728968100_greathighwaytraffic_010_494722.jpg?resize=1536,906 1536w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/8728968100_greathighwaytraffic_010_494722.jpg?resize=2048,1208 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Residents launched the recall over Engardio&#8217;s support for a ballot measure that shut down a stretch of the Great Highway to cars.</figcaption></figure>



<p>The recall effort is largely driven by controversy over Proposition K, a ballot measure Engardio championed to close the Great Highway and convert the two-mile stretch of concrete into a park. Prop. K was a citywide ballot measure, but the special recall election will be limited to District 4, which largely includes the Sunset.</p>



<p>Jamie Hughes, the recall campaign leader, said the number of valid signatures shows that Sunset residents are outraged over the highway&#8217;s closure and want better representation in City Hall.</p>



<p>In a statement, Engardio acknowledged that while the park, which opened this spring as Sunset Dunes, has become a popular destination, traffic issues and pedestrian safety remain top concerns for the Sunset community. But he emphasized that recalling him will not reopen the Great Highway.</p>



<p>“I’m confident that Sunset voters will see through this recall,” he said. “I hear every day from residents who are tired of distractions and appreciate having a supervisor who shows up and delivers.”</p>



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<p>The Prop. K debate has been one of the most divisive in San Francisco in recent years. Though the measure passed with more than 55% of the vote citywide, most of the support came from east-side neighborhoods farther from the highway.</p>



<p>Prop. K faced fierce opposition on the west side, where many residents — especially drivers — expressed concerns about traffic and argued that the measure was put on the ballot without adequate community input.</p>



<p>The fight has exacerbated an ongoing rift between urbanists, cyclists, and environmentalists who want to see greater access to green spaces, and many west-side and suburban residents who rely on cars — and, previously, the highway — to move around town.</p>



<p>Led by Engardio, the Board of Supervisors voted last year to put Prop. K on the ballot as a citywide measure. Engardio faced criticism for his decision to put the measure to all city voters, rather than leaving it to the west side as a neighborhood issue.</p>



<p>The recall effort began months before the election, when Engardio introduced the idea of turning the Great Highway into a park. At the time, residents threatened to recall him if he didn’t withdraw the ballot measure. But Engardio has long argued that the Great Highway is under threat from coastal erosion and that a park would be a great benefit to the city.</p>



<p>After the measure passed in November, Sunset residents <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/12/03/recall-campaign-joel-engardio-prop-k-great-highway/">launched the recall campaign</a> and began collecting signatures in January.</p>



<p>Since its opening in April, Sunset Dunes supporters have touted the coastal park as a major success. Tens of thousands have visited, according to the city&#8217;s Recreation and Parks Department.</p>



<p>&#8220;Change is hard, and even more so when climate change is forcing our hand,&#8221; Engardio said. &#8220;I understand that Sunset Dunes represents a tough change for some in our community, but early data is clear: The park is supporting the rehabilitation of the coastal dunes, it’s bringing new customers to local businesses, and it’s providing a popular space for generations of people to enjoy walking, biking, and nature.&#8221;</p>



<p>Lucas Lux, president of Friends of Sunset Dunes and a strong ally of Engardio, said the park is supported by thousands of Sunset neighbors.</p>



<p>&#8220;We’re proud of the park our community brought to life,&#8221; Lux said in a statement. “We&#8217;re grateful to Supervisor Engardio for his political courage.”</p>



<p>The September recall election marks the third serious attempt to remove an elected official from office in San Francisco in recent years, following successful school board and district attorney recalls in 2022.</p>


Campaign to recall Supervisor Joel Engardio has enough signatures, organizers say


<p>After four months of gathering signatures, the campaign to recall San Francisco Supervisor Joel Engardio has reached a critical milestone, according to the campaign.</p>



<p>The campaign needed to collect at least 9,911 valid signatures, or 20% of registered voters in District 4, to trigger a recall election. The campaign announced Thursday they had collected approximately 14,000 voter signatures and submitted roughly 11,000 they believe to be valid. </p>



<p>The Department of Elections confirmed in an email statement Friday morning that it had received a raw count of 10,985 signatures. </p>



<p>In front of City Hall Thursday, about 80 people gathered for a rally before submitting their petition signatures.</p>



<p>“[Joel Engardio] ignored our community’s needs and kept pushing policies and propositions that hurt us and all San Franciscans,” said Selena Chu, a campaign volunteer who spoke at the event. She accused Engardio&#8217;s anti-recall campaign of trying to slow down and obstruct the signature-gathering effort.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" height="1668" width="2500" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/9214084407_0490.jpg?w=2500" alt="A group of people stands on steps holding &quot;Recall Engardio&quot; signs. Microphones and boxes labeled &quot;Recall Petitions&quot; are visible, indicating a public protest." class="wp-image-402684" srcset="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/9214084407_0490.jpg 5000w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/9214084407_0490.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/9214084407_0490.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/9214084407_0490.jpg?resize=2500,1668 2500w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/9214084407_0490.jpg?resize=1536,1025 1536w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/9214084407_0490.jpg?resize=2048,1366 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Recall organizers delivered about 11,000 signatures they believe are valid to the Department of Elections. </figcaption></figure>



<p>Four sheriff’s deputies were stationed outside Engardio’s City Hall office to guard against any potential disruptions. Engardio spoke to journalists from another private office.</p>



<p>“These past four months, this issue has been on people’s minds,” Engardio said. “But I’m confident that a majority of Sunset voters will reject this recall.”</p>



<p>He believes residents’ anger has waned since the park opened, as fears of worsening traffic have not materialized: &#8220;Because they liked the park, and the traffic was not as bad as people expected it to be,&#8221; Engardio said. </p>



<p>The high-profile recall effort was <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/12/03/recall-campaign-joel-engardio-prop-k-great-highway/">launched late last year</a> shortly after voters approved Proposition K, a divisive ballot measure to close the Great Highway to cars and convert the two miles of road into a park. Engardio, whose district includes the Sunset, where the coastal drive is located, championed the proposition and became a target for recall over concerns about increased traffic congestion in the neighborhood and longer commute times.</p>



<p>According to a source at the Department of Elections, a qualification decision could come as early as next Friday, though a full count of signatures could take over a month. </p>



<p>“It’s too soon to know if the recall has qualified for the ballot,” Engardio’s anti-recall campaign said in a statement. </p>



<p>The Great Highway was closed to cars in March and became the Sunset Dunes park a month later, welcoming more than 13,000 visitors on its opening day. Engardio’s campaign emphasized that a recall wouldn&#8217;t reopen the Great Highway to cars, and that the effort to remove him from office “sets a bad precedent for recalling officials over a single policy disagreement.” <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/03/10/prop-k-lawsuit-great-highway-closure/">A lawsuit to overturn the ballot measure</a> is pending in court.</p>



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<p>Prop. K passed with more than 55% of the vote. Supporters of the measure, including urbanists and environmental groups, saw it as a way to repurpose the highway amid coastal erosion concerns. But the initiative&nbsp;deeply divided the city. While the vast majority of votes in favor came from east-side neighborhoods far from the park, the west side largely voted against the measure.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Many residents in the Sunset and Richmond districts, who are most affected by the highway’s closure, said the decision lacked adequate community input and exacerbated traffic concerns. Some political groups, such as the Chinese American Democratic Club, which was an outspoken opponent of Prop. K, have endorsed the recall.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" height="1668" width="2500" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/9214084407_0815.jpg?w=2500" alt="A man with a beard in a navy suit and tie is smiling while standing in a dimly lit corridor with gray stone walls." class="wp-image-402690" srcset="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/9214084407_0815.jpg 5000w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/9214084407_0815.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/9214084407_0815.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/9214084407_0815.jpg?resize=2500,1668 2500w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/9214084407_0815.jpg?resize=1536,1025 1536w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/9214084407_0815.jpg?resize=2048,1366 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Supervisor Joel Engardio said he believes the anger over the Great Highway closure has waned.</figcaption></figure>



<p>The recall campaign started gathering signatures in January. If the signature count is validated, a special recall election would be scheduled within 120 days.</p>



<p>“There’s been a lot of curiosity about whether the campaign could pull it off,” said Mary Jung, a Democratic political strategist who led the successful 2022 recall of District Attorney Chesa Boudin. “It’s a tough process, and even tougher when it’s limited to a single district.”</p>



<p>If the recall does qualify for the ballot, Engardio has money on hand to fight it. His campaign, backed by tech titans such as Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman, has raised more than $400,000. In contrast, the recall campaign, officially known as “Our Neighborhood, Our Future: Supporting the Recall of Supervisor Engardio,” has raised about $144,000 and has $54,000 in debt.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Engardio has politically powerful allies who are helping him fight the recall effort, including Board of Supervisors President Rafael Mandelman, San Francisco YIMBY, and state Sen. Scott Wiener.</p>



<p>“The recall is becoming a NIMBY effort to stop the positive progress at City Hall,” Wiener said in a recent social media post. “If this recall succeeds, that’s exactly what will happen.”</p>



<p><em>Editor&#8217;s note: This story has been updated with information from the Department of Elections and details from Thursday&#8217;s rally at City Hall. </em></p>


Engardio recall leader abruptly resigns as political fight gets nasty


<p>Just one week before the deadline to submit voter signatures, the leader of the campaign to recall Supervisor Joel Engardio has abruptly stepped down.</p>



<p>Vin Budhai, the public face of last year’s “No on K” campaign against the Great Highway closure and the recall effort targeting Engardio, announced his resignation Tuesday, citing internal disagreements over campaign tactics.</p>



<p>“This decision comes after ongoing creative and strategic differences regarding the direction and execution of the effort,” Budhai said in a statement. “I wish the committee and all those involved in the campaign continued success as they carry this effort forward.”</p>



<p>Sources say tensions arose recently over whether to ramp up spending in the final days of the signature-gathering campaign. The campaign faces a May 22 deadline to submit approximately 10,000 valid signatures to the Department of Elections. Organizers are expected to submit more than that to account for potentially invalid or duplicate signatures. If the threshold is met, the recall question will appear on the ballot later this year.</p>



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<p>Budhai reaffirmed his support for the recall and said Engardio should be held accountable for his role in closing the Great Highway —&nbsp;a divisive move that continues to roil local politics.</p>



<p>“I continue to believe that a recall is warranted and necessary for the future of our community,” Budhai said.</p>



<p>The recall campaign <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/12/24/san-francisco-great-highway-joel-engardio-fight-recall/">is closely tied to backlash over Proposition K</a>, the successful ballot measure to permanently close the Great Highway to cars and transform it into a park. Although the measure <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/10/31/sf-election-2024-prop-k-great-highway/">passed citywide</a>, it faced fierce opposition in the Sunset, Engardio’s home district. Critics say the road closure, which enabled the creation of the Sunset Dunes park, has worsened traffic and cut off access to a popular coastal roadway.</p>



<p>Engardio’s campaign has boosted its efforts to fight back as well, distributing mailers to Sunset voters warning that the recall campaign is misleading.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1574" height="2047" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/img_1237.jpeg?w=1574" alt="The image is a flyer warning against signing a recall petition, stating it won't reverse Proposition K or reopen the Great Highway. It includes contact information and refutes misinformation." class="wp-image-398958" srcset="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/img_1237.jpeg 1574w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/img_1237.jpeg?resize=231,300 231w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/img_1237.jpeg?resize=768,999 768w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/img_1237.jpeg?resize=1181,1536 1181w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1574px) 100vw, 1574px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Joel Engardio&#8217;s anti-recall campaign sends out mailers boosting the effort in the final weeks.</figcaption></figure>



<p>“Proposition K will NOT BE REVERSED and the Great Highway WILL NOT RE-OPEN if you sign the petition or if the recall campaign succeeds,” the mailer says, directing voters to withdraw their signatures.</p>



<p>One voter who asked to remain anonymous told The Standard she had contacted the Department of Elections to withdraw her signature after learning more about the campaign. The Standard verified her voter registration in the Sunset but could not confirm whether she had signed the petition.</p>



<p>The recall campaign is part of <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/03/10/prop-k-lawsuit-great-highway-closure/">a lawsuit</a> challenging Prop. K, which will be heard in early June in San Francisco Superior Court. Supervisor Connie Chan, an outspoken critic of Prop. K, has also <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/04/09/great-highway-connie-chan-election/">floated the idea of launching another ballot measure</a> to overturn the road closure.</p>


Supervisor Connie Chan wants to reopen the Great Highway to cars. It won’t be easy


<p>A San Francisco supervisor is looking at opportunities to overturn the voter-approved ballot measure that permanently closed the Upper Great Highway to car traffic.</p>



<p>Supervisor Connie Chan, who represents the Richmond, said she will &#8220;explore a ballot measure to keep Upper Great Highway open to vehicular traffic Mondays through Fridays and closed on the weekends for recreation.&#8221; The proposal comes in response to Proposition K, the contentious ballot measure that closed the coastal road to make way for a park.</p>



<p>Many of Chan&#8217;s constituents are asking what can be done about the closure, and the only option is to vote on it again, a spokesperson for the supervisor said Wednesday.</p>



<p>Chan, an outspoken critic of Prop. K, first wrote about her intention to overturn the measure in a column in <a href="https://richmondsunsetnews.com/2025/04/05/city-hall-connie-chan-49/">the Richmond Review</a>, a neighborhood news outlet. Her spokesperson acknowledged that &#8220;many things will need to come together to make this happen.&#8221; In the column, Chan made clear that a new vote would hinge on whether the effort to recall Supervisor Joel Engardio makes it to the ballot.</p>



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<p>Prop K. passed citywide with 55% of votes, but residents of the Richmond and Sunset districts voted overwhelmingly against it. The issue <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/12/03/recall-campaign-joel-engardio-prop-k-great-highway/">triggered a recall campaign</a> against Engardio because of concerns about traffic and lack of community involvement in the process. A Standard analysis <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/04/07/great-highway-san-francisco-traffic-worse-sunset/">found that traffic in the Sunset got worse after the closure</a>.</p>



<p>Chan’s idea was met with pushback from park supporters.</p>



<p>“If Supervisor Chan is proposing we spend millions to revert the space back to a pseudo-highway, subject the city to more bureaucracy, and take away the new amenities from the community, we expect she’ll have trouble finding enough additional supervisors also willing to take away San Franciscan’s new favorite park,” said Lucas Lux, a leader of the Prop. K campaign.</p>



<p>If the Engardio recall campaign triggers a special election in the Sunset District this year, a majority of the Board of Supervisors would need to authorize it to become a citywide election. After that, Chan would need three more supervisors to cosponsor a ballot measure to roll back Prop. K. Aside from Chan, only Supervisor Chyanne Chen opposed Prop. K.; the others either supported or remained neutral on the measure.</p>



<p>Mayor Daniel Lurie opposed Prop. K but has largely stayed out of the controversy since taking office.</p>



<p>Jason Galisatus, a spokesperson for Engardio’s anti-recall campaign, blasted Chan’s move as a ploy “to get people to sign the recall petition in the final weeks before the deadline” and believes there is no path to getting a majority of the board to agree with her.</p>



<p>The park, which will <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/04/09/great-highway-renamed-sunset-dunes/">officially be known as Sunset Dunes</a>, will have its grand opening Saturday. The recall campaign has until May 22 to submit about 10,000 signatures to the Department of Elections for review.</p>


Why SF’s Asian American voters are walking away from the Democratic Party


<p>On a sunny morning in Visitacion Valley, state Sen. Scott Wiener joined dozens of seniors at a Chinese New Year celebration. In a speech, the Democratic lawmaker warned that San Francisco could face great challenges under President Donald Trump.</p>



<p>&#8220;We are working very hard to protect people&#8217;s access to healthcare, senior services, and funding for public education,&#8221; Wiener said, noting that all are “at risk now given what&#8217;s happening in Washington, D.C.&#8221;</p>



<p>The message fell on deaf ears for some in the audience. Quite a few voted for Trump and are no fans of Democrats, who have long dominated San Francisco politics.</p>



<p>&#8220;Many of my neighbors support Trump,&#8221; said Lai Wah Hun, 79, a resident in attendance who voted for Trump. &#8220;Democrats are too left. I don&#8217;t like them.&#8221;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-pullquote"><blockquote><p>&#8216;I want to educate law-abiding citizens to support Trump, and illegal immigrants are exploiting our welfare system.&#8217;</p><cite>Ellen Lee Zhou</cite></blockquote></figure>



<p>Of all San Francisco neighborhoods, Visitacion Valley and Portola took the biggest swing toward Trump in the November election. In both communities, he gained more than nine points from his 2020 total. Nearly a third of voters in Visitacion Valley chose Trump last year, versus about 23% in 2020.</p>



<p>Beyond their openness to the MAGA movement, the two neighborhoods have another similarity: large Asian populations.</p>



<p>San Francisco officials do not release ethnic or racial demographic breakdowns of election results. However, Department of Elections data reviewed by The Standard illustrate the relative popularity of Trump in Asian neighborhoods.&nbsp;</p>



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<p>The seven neighborhoods that voted for Trump at the highest rates in 2024 have the city’s largest Asian populations. Six of the 10 neighborhoods that saw the largest increase in Trump voting between 2020 and 2024 were close to or majority Asian.</p>



<p>Underlying this turn to the right among Asian voters is a mounting distrust of the Democratic Party.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-forgotten-valley">‘Forgotten Valley’</h2>



<p>Rex Tabora, executive director of the Asian Pacific American Community Center in Visitacion Valley, describes the neighborhood as &#8220;the Forgotten Valley,&#8221; saying it &#8220;has been neglected by all levels of government.&#8221;</p>



<p>Tabora said public schools in the neighborhood have <a href="https://www.greatschools.org/california/san-francisco/6447-Visitacion-Valley-Middle-School/">low ratings</a> and high-profile crimes <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/01/02/san-francisco-grandma-huang-asian-elder-attack-five-years/">involving Asian victims</a> have bred discontent with elected officials.&nbsp;</p>



<p>&#8220;When it comes to public safety, Asians are law-and-order kind of folks,&#8221; he said.</p>



<p>In the southeast of the neighborhood, organizing efforts by Ellen Lee Zhou likely played a role in the shift toward Trump. A <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/04/11/this-far-right-maga-style-mayoral-candidate-is-back/">repeat candidate for mayor</a> and loyal supporter of the president, Zhou had two Trump-plastered campaign vehicles circulating the area. Zhou makes regular appearances on a Chinese-language radio show <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCr6hmlpGxU&amp;t=92s">called &#8220;Companion on the Road&#8221;(同路人)</a>, where she discusses politics and criticizes Democratic leadership.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" height="1667" width="2500" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/feeatured_20240411-ellenleezhoumayor.jpg?w=2500" alt="A person in a white suit and red cap stands in a festive room full of people wearing similar caps, facing a stage with a speaker." class="wp-image-266148" srcset="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/feeatured_20240411-ellenleezhoumayor.jpg 4200w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/feeatured_20240411-ellenleezhoumayor.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/feeatured_20240411-ellenleezhoumayor.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/feeatured_20240411-ellenleezhoumayor.jpg?resize=2500,1667 2500w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/feeatured_20240411-ellenleezhoumayor.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/feeatured_20240411-ellenleezhoumayor.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Ellen Lee Zhou announces her bid for mayor at a dinner in April. She often criticizes Democratic leadership.</figcaption></figure>



<p>&#8220;I want to educate law-abiding citizens to support Trump, and illegal immigrants are exploiting our welfare system,&#8221; Zhou told The Standard in Chinese. She estimated her radio audience at 30,000 to 50,000 listeners.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The right-turn of Chinese Americans alarmed local Democratic officials, despite Trump receiving only 16% of citywide votes in November, a modest increase from 2020 and 2016. Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris received 80% of San Francisco votes in 2024.</p>



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<p>Nancy Tung, chair of San Francisco’s Democratic Party and a Chinese American living in Portola, said more work needs to be done to boost the party’s status among immigrant communities.</p>



<p>“It&#8217;s clear that voters are frustrated with national Democrats, including many in the Chinese community in San Francisco,” Tung said in a statement. “I&#8217;m committed to making sure we engage the Chinese community and other immigrant communities to hear their concerns and win them back in the next and future elections.&#8221;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-quitting-the-party">Quitting the party</h2>



<p>The Rose Pak Democratic Club, a progressive Asian political group named for the late Chinatown power broker, <a href="https://missionlocal.org/2025/01/prominent-s-f-asian-democratic-club-drops-out-of-local-democratic-party/">sparked controversy</a> last month by removing &#8220;Democratic&#8221; from its name. Club leaders said they wanted the move to serve as a wake-up call to the party about the increasing detachment in the Asian community.</p>



<p>Club president Jeremy Lee said that while campaigning last year in Chinatown for a seat on the Democratic County Central Committee, he realized that the party wasn&#8217;t popular, especially among monolingual Chinese immigrants.</p>



<p>&#8220;Some of the seniors were saying, &#8216;I like you, but I don&#8217;t like the Democratic Party,'&#8221; he said. Lee, a progressive, lost the race.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" height="1875" width="2500" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/img_6942.jpg?w=2500" alt="A photo of a meeting in process." class="wp-image-370017" srcset="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/img_6942.jpg 4032w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/img_6942.jpg?resize=300,225 300w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/img_6942.jpg?resize=768,576 768w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/img_6942.jpg?resize=2500,1875 2500w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/img_6942.jpg?resize=1536,1152 1536w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/img_6942.jpg?resize=2048,1536 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Chinese seniors attend a speech by state Sen. Scott Wiener. </figcaption></figure>



<p>Lee said Democratic rhetoric around public safety puts the party at a disadvantage, noting that “defund the police” and similar movements don&#8217;t resonate with the Chinese community.</p>



<p>However, the Chinese American Democratic Club, a moderate-leaning group, has touted successes.</p>



<p>CADC was active in the 2022 recalls of three school board members and the district attorney — causes that <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2022/10/12/asian-voters-momentum/">animated Asian voters</a>, especially on the west side. The Rose Pak group opposed both recalls.</p>



<p>Josephine Zhao, the CADC president, said the club has been successful in organizing immigrant voters by defining itself against progressivism.</p>



<p>&#8220;We are proud to help our community in voicing their centrist views,&#8221; Zhao said in a statement.</p>



<p>Hun, the Trump supporter, holds more progressive views on immigration than many Republicans, saying undocumented immigrants without criminal records who have started families and built livelihoods in the U.S. should be able to stay. But she believes the Republican Party will make San Francisco thrive, contributing to public safety and a stronger economy.</p>



<p>&#8220;Politicians are all like this — some things you agree with; some you don&#8217;t,&#8221; Hun said. &#8220;But Democrats are making America like a sinking ship.&#8221;</p>


‘Disruptive and costly’: Engardio blasts recall effort as signature gathering begins


<p>The four-month sprint to gather enough signatures to potentially oust San Francisco Supervisor Joel Engardio will soon begin. But the embattled Sunset district representative is ready to defend himself.</p>



<p>The Department of Elections has approved the circulation of a petition aiming to recall Engardio over his support for the Great Highway closure, giving the organizers until May 22 to gather 10,000 signatures <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/12/03/recall-campaign-joel-engardio-prop-k-great-highway/">and trigger a special recall election</a>.</p>



<p>&#8220;Our team is going to reach out to the community to get signatures,&#8221; said Vin Budhai, who founded the recall campaign. &#8220;There are approximately 1,000 people signed up already <a href="https://www.recallengardio.com/">on the campaign website</a>, and they&#8217;re ready to sign and help.&#8221;</p>



<p>Engardio, who represents District 4, where the Great Highway is located, faces backlash over his support of Proposition K, which passed citywide with 55% approval but was rejected by 64% of voters in his district. The measure will close a two-mile stretch of Upper Great Highway to vehicles and create an oceanfront park.&nbsp;</p>



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<p>Opposition to the closure remains strong among west-side residents, who argue that cutting off road access will disrupt commutes and increase traffic in the area. Many critics of Prop. K felt Engardio ignored the input of his constituents.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The recall campaign, &#8220;Our Neighborhood, Our Future Supporting the Recall of Supervisor Engardio,&#8221; has raised about $10,000, according to Budhai. It has hired two staffers from former Supervisor Aaron Peskin&#8217;s mayoral campaign, Otto Pippenger and Jamie Hughes, to do the fieldwork.</p>



<p>The 10,000 signatures needed to trigger the special election represent about 20% of registered voters in the district.</p>



<p>Engardio <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/12/24/san-francisco-great-highway-joel-engardio-fight-recall/">has assembled an experienced anti-recall team</a> and maintains that his track record on public safety, small business, and education speaks for itself. His campaign, &#8220;<a href="https://www.stoptheengardiorecall.com/">Stop the Recall, Stand with Joel Engardio</a>,&#8221; launched in January.</p>



<p>Engardio said many Sunset residents have indicated that they don’t support the recall effort, even if they don’t agree with all his positions.</p>



<p>“Our campaign to stop the recall has strong grassroots support,” Engardio said in a statement. “Residents tell me the entirety of my work — not just one issue — is what matters to them. They know a recall is disruptive and costly.”</p>



<p>The city has won approval from the California Coastal Commission for the road-to-park transformation, <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/11/26/great-highway-park-sfmta-coastal-commission/">including new bike lanes</a>, enabled by Prop. K. The closure is expected to happen this spring, with community discussions on design and traffic changes planned in future months.</p>


SF Republican Party elected a new chair. He voted Democrat for mayor


<p>The San Francisco Republican Party has elected as chair an education consultant who will be the face of a small but growing conservative community in the deep-blue city.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Bill Jackson, 60, an entrepreneur turned Republican activist, said his goal is to be a bridge builder: He often votes for Democrats in local races, as there rarely are Republican candidates, and aspires to “break the taboo among a certain class of San Francisco Democratic political leaders to even work with Republicans.”&nbsp;</p>



<p>In 2021, Jackson cofounded the centrist Republican group Briones Society. In March, a slate of candidates organized by the Briones Society, including Jackson, <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/03/05/san-francisco-election-republican-county-central-committee/">won in a landslide</a> in the Republican County Central Committee election, signaling a moderate shift in the local party.</p>



<p><a href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/01/08/daniel-lurie-inauguration-san-francisco-mayor/">As Mayor Daniel Lurie celebrated his inauguration</a> on Wednesday, Jackson and his fellow winners were sworn in as Republican Party leaders, who will set the agenda, make endorsements, and attempt to expand the party’s influence. Jackson said his top choices in the November mayoral election were <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/06/24/san-francisco-mayoral-election-republican-voters/">Lurie</a> and moderate Democrat Mark Farrell, though he declined to reveal his ranked-choice order.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1251" height="1668" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/amanda-andrade-rhoades-to-cover-daniel-luries-inauguration-day_aar_9-edited.jpg" alt="A man in a suit speaks at a podium with a microphone against a clear blue sky, gesturing with his hand." class="wp-image-354223" srcset="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/amanda-andrade-rhoades-to-cover-daniel-luries-inauguration-day_aar_9-edited.jpg 1251w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/amanda-andrade-rhoades-to-cover-daniel-luries-inauguration-day_aar_9-edited.jpg?resize=225,300 225w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/amanda-andrade-rhoades-to-cover-daniel-luries-inauguration-day_aar_9-edited.jpg?resize=768,1024 768w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/amanda-andrade-rhoades-to-cover-daniel-luries-inauguration-day_aar_9-edited.jpg?resize=1152,1536 1152w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1251px) 100vw, 1251px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Mayor Daniel Lurie received support from moderate Republicans, including Jackson, in his successful campaign. </figcaption></figure>



<p>Jackson said he&#8217;s &#8220;fully supportive&#8221; of Lurie&#8217;s efforts and expects &#8220;the Republican Party to be watching closely and advocating for bolder action.&#8221;</p>



<p>A Noe Valley resident, Jackson taught in China for two years and later founded a popular website, GreatSchools.org. He now works as a private education consultant.</p>



<p>Jackson hasn’t ruled out a run for school board but knows that, in local races, a victory for a Republican is a long shot. He said that in an ideal situation, San Francisco voters might elect to public office a Republican who forms a strong alliance with other parties.</p>



<p>“Maybe your first elected Republican actually comes in coalition with a Democrat or some &#8216;no party preference&#8217; folks,” he said.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-not-a-trump-worshiper">‘Not a Trump worshiper’</h2>



<p>Jackson said he voted for President-elect Donald Trump but emphasized that he’s not far right, and his view of Democrats is that “they&#8217;re wrong&#8221; but are not “evil and want to destroy the country.&#8221;</p>



<p>He rejected the &#8220;moderate&#8221; and &#8220;centrist&#8221; labels, describing himself as a &#8220;principled conservative.&#8221; In practice, that means he supported Trump’s policies but condemned the Jan. 6 insurrection.</p>



<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m not a Trump worshiper,&#8221; Jackson stated. &#8220;We should be willing to say that [Jan. 6] wasn&#8217;t a good day. We made some mistakes. We won&#8217;t do it again. American people, you can trust us to safeguard the institutions of democracy and move on.&#8221;</p>



<p>Dozens of supporters — including registered Democrats — attended a Briones Society happy hour event Thursday in Japantown.</p>



<p>&#8220;There&#8217;s a sense the Democratic platform isn&#8217;t rooted in reality,&#8221; Arvind Ramesh, a Democrat who works in tech, said at the event. He expressed frustration with his party&#8217;s handling of street safety, cleanliness, and accountability issues, and was glad to find like-minded Republican friends.</p>



<p>Ramesh said he&#8217;s reluctant to change his affiliation but hopes to influence the party by voting in primaries and in Democratic County Central Committee races, for example. San Francisco is overwhelmingly liberal, with more than 63% Democratic registration and about 8% Republican. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-most-thankless-job">‘The most thankless job’</h2>



<p>For John Dennis, the outgoing San Francisco Republican Party chair, the changing of the guard is bittersweet.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" height="2500" width="1875" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/20240904-republicanendorse_aar_16-edited.jpg" alt="A man in a blue suit sits at a desk with a microphone, gavel, and water bottle. A blurred seal of California is visible in the background." class="wp-image-354224" srcset="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/20240904-republicanendorse_aar_16-edited.jpg 4097w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/20240904-republicanendorse_aar_16-edited.jpg?resize=225,300 225w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/20240904-republicanendorse_aar_16-edited.jpg?resize=768,1024 768w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/20240904-republicanendorse_aar_16-edited.jpg?resize=1875,2500 1875w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/20240904-republicanendorse_aar_16-edited.jpg?resize=1152,1536 1152w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/20240904-republicanendorse_aar_16-edited.jpg?resize=1536,2048 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1875px) 100vw, 1875px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">John Dennis, who served as San Francisco Republican Party chair for five years, steps down this month.</figcaption></figure>



<p>&#8220;Being the chairman of the San Francisco Republican Party is probably the most thankless [job]. But it is also rewarding in its own ways,&#8221; he said.</p>



<p>Dennis disputed claims that the party has taken a moderate turn, stating that the city&#8217;s GOP leadership has always maintained a moderate and reasonable voice. He said the Briones Society’s image as moderate is just a campaign tactic.</p>



<p>Under Dennis&#8217; leadership, the party saw <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/02/15/as-asian-immigrants-turn-right-san-franciscos-republican-party-sees-an-opportunity/">modest growth</a>. A year ago, the city had <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240103155741/https://www.sfelections.org/tools/election_data/registration_by_party.php">35,975 registered Republicans</a>; the <a href="https://www.sfelections.org/tools/election_data/registration_by_party.php">latest data</a> from the SF Department of Elections show a 14% increase to 40,453. During the same period, Democratic registration increased by 4%.</p>



<p>&#8220;They&#8217;ve got big shoes to fill,&#8221; Dennis joked. &#8220;You have to write that I&#8217;m laughing when I say this.&#8221;</p>


The Great Highway recall fight has only just begun


<p>Julia Quon didn’t hesitate to sign the recall petition letter. As one of the first Sunset residents to <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/12/03/recall-campaign-joel-engardio-prop-k-great-highway/">initiate a campaign</a> to remove Supervisor Joel Engardio from office, she felt betrayed by his push to pass Proposition K in last month’s election.</p>



<p>&#8220;The Sunset has been ignored for far too long, and this is just another example,&#8221; Quon said. &#8220;Look at all the Sunset neighborhood groups online — everyone is talking about Prop. K.&#8221;</p>



<p>The controversial citywide ballot measure, which <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/11/14/great-highway-closure-next-steps/">will close part of the Upper Great Highway to cars and create a park</a>, passed but was rejected by nearly two-thirds of Sunset voters. Many insist they were not consulted before Engardio put it on the ballot and say the change will worsen traffic. Now a new political battle is beginning. Signature gathering efforts for the recall of Engardio could begin next week, and potential successors are lining up to take over his seat.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" height="2500" width="1833" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20240918-greathwytearapart-es-31.jpg?w=1833" alt="A man in sunglasses and a gray hoodie speaks into a microphone, gesturing with one hand. Behind him, another person holds a &quot;No on K&quot; sign." class="wp-image-347423" srcset="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20240918-greathwytearapart-es-31.jpg 5281w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20240918-greathwytearapart-es-31.jpg?resize=220,300 220w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20240918-greathwytearapart-es-31.jpg?resize=768,1048 768w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20240918-greathwytearapart-es-31.jpg?resize=1833,2500 1833w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20240918-greathwytearapart-es-31.jpg?resize=1126,1536 1126w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20240918-greathwytearapart-es-31.jpg?resize=1502,2048 1502w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1833px) 100vw, 1833px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Albert Chow, an outspoken critic of Proposition K, says he&#8217;s seriously considering running for supervisor.</figcaption></figure>



<p>&#8220;I am seriously considering running for supervisor,&#8221; said Albert Chow, <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/10/02/great-highway-controversy-race-class/">a prominent “No on K” advocate</a> and Sunset merchant leader. Chow told The Standard the recall isn&#8217;t about revenge but about better representation for the district. &#8220;I want the old San Francisco back, where people shared values and reached compromises,&#8221; he said.</p>



<p>Others who are rumored to be considering a run, including former Supervisor Gordon Mar,&nbsp;declined to comment.</p>



<p>According to San Francisco’s Department of Elections, recall supporters may start the process of gathering signatures as soon as Dec. 30; 10,000 are needed in order to qualify for the ballot.</p>



<p>Engardio may have underestimated how heated the rhetoric would get over closing the Great Highway, despite the massive disputes over <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2022/04/08/war-jfk-drive-de-young-museum-san-francisco-kids-safe-fine-arts-museum/">closing John F. Kennedy Drive</a> in 2022, the year he was elected to the Board of Supervisors. But he appears to have no second thoughts about sponsoring Prop. K.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" height="2500" width="2500" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20241114_propknextsteps_aar_45-edited.jpg" alt="A cyclist in a yellow jacket rides along a roadside bike lane. Cars and a yellow school bus travel beside him on a foggy day." class="wp-image-347452" srcset="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20241114_propknextsteps_aar_45-edited.jpg 4301w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20241114_propknextsteps_aar_45-edited.jpg?resize=150,150 150w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20241114_propknextsteps_aar_45-edited.jpg?resize=300,300 300w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20241114_propknextsteps_aar_45-edited.jpg?resize=768,768 768w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20241114_propknextsteps_aar_45-edited.jpg?resize=2500,2500 2500w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20241114_propknextsteps_aar_45-edited.jpg?resize=1536,1536 1536w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20241114_propknextsteps_aar_45-edited.jpg?resize=2048,2048 2048w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20241114_propknextsteps_aar_45-edited.jpg?resize=180,180 180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Following the passage of Prop. K, its backers face the question of how to transform the area.</figcaption></figure>



<p>“Recalling me won&#8217;t change the outcome or implementation of Prop. K,” Engardio said in a text message. “I&#8217;m committed to working with everyone who was opposed to Prop. K to address their concerns about traffic flow and pedestrian safety.”</p>



<p>While the recall campaign centers on Engardio’s District 4, San Francisco&#8217;s west side encompasses the Inner Sunset, Ingleside, and West Portal in District 7 and the Richmond in District 1 — both areas where a majority of voters opposed Prop. K. The measure passed with 55% approval citywide but was rejected by 64% of voters in districts 1 and 4 and 56% of District 7.</p>



<p>Dennis Wu, a District 7 resident, said the impact of closing the Great Highway goes beyond traffic congestion, touching on many working-class families&#8217; values and lifestyle. &#8220;The hurt runs deep,&#8221; Wu said, noting that many families rely on the roadway to take children to school, attend medical appointments, and commute to work — and a new park isn&#8217;t a priority.</p>



<p>“I&#8217;m already focusing on 2026,” Wu said, referencing the end of Engardio’s first term. “Many people are discussing the next election cycle of who to support, and their views on K will play a role.&#8221;</p>



<p>Matt Boschetto, a candidate for District 7 supervisor who lost to incumbent Myrna Melgar, is working with retired Judge Quentin Kopp to file a sunshine request with the Coastal Commission to obtain records regarding Great Highway park planning. They question whether and how long the city and the commission were developing plans without public disclosure, noting that park-specific language wasn&#8217;t included in the Prop. K ballot literature.</p>



<p>&#8220;The west side is becoming more unified,&#8221; said Boschetto, whose family made significant donations to the “No on K” campaign. &#8220;The passage of K isn&#8217;t the end — it&#8217;s just the beginning.&#8221;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-engardio-goes-on-the-offensive">Engardio goes on the offensive</h2>



<p>While the recall proponents may be generating the loudest buzz, Engardio is ready to fight back. His anti-recall campaign has brought on KMM Strategies and Singer Associates as campaign and communications consultants.</p>



<p>“We’ve heard from many Sunset residents that they’re standing with Joel and are ready to work together to oppose this misguided recall,” campaign manager Lian Chang said in a statement. “His track record of success on many issues like public safety and education speaks for itself, and we’re confident that Sunset voters will recognize this and decline to sign the recall petition.”</p>



<p>The <a href="https://cal-access.sos.ca.gov/Campaign/Committees/Detail.aspx?id=1477355">“Stop the Recall, Stand With Joel”</a> campaign will officially launch in January. It will have advocates like GrowSF and Neighbors for a Better San Francisco, both well-funded moderate groups that supported past recall efforts against former <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2022/06/07/recall-election-sf-district-attorney-chesa-boudin/">District Attorney Chesa Boudin</a> and <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2022/02/16/school-board-recall-successful/">three school board members</a>, but oppose the effort against Engardio.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" height="2500" width="1997" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20241104-electionliveblog-es-23.jpg?w=1997" alt="A bearded man in a black baseball cap with orange lettering gazes thoughtfully into the distance, wearing a red &quot;SUNSET&quot; T-shirt in a sunlit outdoor area." class="wp-image-347450" srcset="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20241104-electionliveblog-es-23.jpg 4647w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20241104-electionliveblog-es-23.jpg?resize=240,300 240w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20241104-electionliveblog-es-23.jpg?resize=768,962 768w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20241104-electionliveblog-es-23.jpg?resize=1997,2500 1997w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20241104-electionliveblog-es-23.jpg?resize=1227,1536 1227w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20241104-electionliveblog-es-23.jpg?resize=1636,2048 1636w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1997px) 100vw, 1997px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Supervisor Joel Engardio has assembled a strong team to fight the recall effort.</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" height="2500" width="2500" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20240722-recallengardio_03-edited.jpg" alt="The image shows a blurred man in an office labeled &quot;Department of Elections,&quot; with organized file folders, a warning sign, and a colorful map on the wall." class="wp-image-347451" srcset="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20240722-recallengardio_03-edited.jpg 3790w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20240722-recallengardio_03-edited.jpg?resize=150,150 150w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20240722-recallengardio_03-edited.jpg?resize=300,300 300w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20240722-recallengardio_03-edited.jpg?resize=768,768 768w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20240722-recallengardio_03-edited.jpg?resize=2500,2500 2500w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20240722-recallengardio_03-edited.jpg?resize=1536,1536 1536w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20240722-recallengardio_03-edited.jpg?resize=2048,2048 2048w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20240722-recallengardio_03-edited.jpg?resize=180,180 180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Richard Corriea submits a petition letter to recall Engardio on Dec. 3.</figcaption></figure>



<p>The Recreation and Parks Department has announced plans to begin the road closure in early 2025 and start community discussions on <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/11/26/great-highway-park-sfmta-coastal-commission/">park designs</a> and traffic changes. Lucas Lux, a leader of the “Yes on K” campaign, said he has reached out to “No on K” organizers in an effort to address common concerns related to traffic safety.</p>



<p>Opponents of Prop. K are placing their hopes in Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie, who received strong west-side support and opposed Prop. K. Both Quon and Chow said they&#8217;re seeking meetings with Lurie to discuss their concerns.</p>



<p>The incoming mayor has been largely silent on the issue but said in a TV interview that he looked forward to meeting with west-side residents.&nbsp;</p>



<p>“The view of the voters will be followed,” Lurie told <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VE9VmJoztxg">KTVU</a>. “But we have work to do, to make sure the people from Richmond can get through to the Sunset.”</p>



<p>While Engardio fights the recall effort, he continues to try and work with the people who want him gone, he said. “I&#8217;ve reached out to recall leaders multiple times and welcome their input,” Engardio said. “Safe and efficient streets are something we can all agree on.”</p>


Asian Art Museum

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The Abatement Appeals Board provides a final review process for City permitting decisions. It ensures fair and efficient adjudication of permit-related disputes before an impartial panel. The board holds authority to make binding decisions on appeals concerning notices of abatement.

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Adult Day Health Care Planning Council

Adult Probation Department supervises individuals on probation and facilitates their reintegration into the community. It provides reentry and rehabilitative services, including victim restitution and financial assistance for crime victims. The department values public safety, offender rehabilitation, and community partnerships.

Cristel Tullock

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Advisory Committee of Street Artists and Crafts Examiners

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Advisory Council on Human Rights

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Mike Nakornkhet

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Malcolm Yeung

Jose F. Almanza

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Virginia Donohue

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Arts Commission Commissioner 15

San Francisco Arts Commission invests in a vibrant arts community and shapes cultural policy. It enlivens the urban environment through public art programs and supports diverse artistic expressions. The commission facilitates meetings and discussions to engage the community in cultural development.

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The Asian Art Commission determines policy and administers the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. It oversees museum operations and collaborates with the Asian Art Museum Foundation on fundraising efforts. Commissioners ensure the museum's strategic direction and financial sustainability.

Asian Art Commission

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Asian Art Museum showcases Asian art and culture through exhibitions and educational programs. It offers diverse collections and hosts special events to engage the community. The museum fosters cultural appreciation and understanding by providing access to its extensive art collections.

Dr. Soyoung Lee

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The Assessment Appeals Board #1 hears property tax assessment appeals in San Francisco. It evaluates evidence presented by taxpayers and the Assessor to determine property values. The Board has the authority to make final decisions on assessments regardless of property type or value.

Assessment Appeals Board #1

Assessment Appeals Board #1 Commissioner 1

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Richard Lee

Stephen Wasserman

Adena Gilbert

Paul Bellar

Quirina Mitchell

Hilary Winslow

The Assessment Appeals Board #2 adjudicates property tax assessment appeals for San Francisco taxpayers. It evaluates evidence presented by taxpayers and the Assessor to determine accurate property values. The Board exercises authority to render final decisions on residential properties and specific real estate assessments.

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Claire Ervin Lee

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The Assessment Appeals Board #3 provides a platform for San Francisco taxpayers to contest property tax assessments. It conducts hearings where evidence from both taxpayers and the Assessor is evaluated. The Board makes binding decisions on property assessments based on presented evidence.

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Marc Dickow

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Assesses property, applies exemptions, collects transfer taxes, and records official documents.

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Joaquín Torres

The Ballot Simplification Committee ensures voter materials are clear and understandable. It reviews and revises ballot language to accurately reflect propositions and measures. The committee advises on simplifying complex legal and technical terms for voter comprehension.

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The Bayview Hunters Point Citizens Advisory Committee provides policy advice on planning and land use matters in Zone 2 of Bayview Hunter's Point. It offers expertise in land use policies, zoning issues, and urban development. The committee advises the Board of Supervisors, City Boards, and commissions on relevant projects and initiatives.

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