SF’s RV crackdown hits snags from day one

Nancy Pelosi won’t seek reelection, retiring after 38 years in Congress

<div class="content-grid article-content"><div class="Metadata_container__fxAzw"><div class="flex flex-row gap-x-md"></div><div class="Metadata_metadata__W_0LF"><span>By <a class="" href="https://sfstandard.com/author/josh-koehn/">Josh Koehn</a>, <a class="" href="https://sfstandard.com/author/george-kelly/">George Kelly</a>, and <a class="" href="https://sfstandard.com/author/michael-mclaughlin/">Michael McLaughlin</a></span><time datetime="2025-11-06T16:04:44.289Z">Updated Nov. 06, 2025 • 8:04am</time><time datetime="2025-11-06T14:17:49.919Z">Published Nov. 06, 2025 • 6:17am</time></div></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi announced Thursday that she will not seek reelection after representing San Francisco for nearly four decades in Congress.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“With a grateful heart, I look forward to my final year of service as your proud representative,” Pelosi said in an emotional farewell <a href="https://x.com/teampelosi/status/1986433397921833435?s=46" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">video she posted to her social media account. <span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The 85-year-old Democrat, arguably the most powerful woman in U.S. political history, addressed her constituents directly, reflecting on her legacy representing the “greatest city on Earth with the most extraordinary people on Earth and a place that I will always believe is heaven on Earth.”</p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“I will not be seeking reelection to Congress,” Pelosi said. “I have truly loved serving as your voice in Congress.”</p></div><figure class="ImageBlock_ImageFigure__ZnquR inset-image mobile-grid-full mobile-grid-full" data-align="none"><div class="relative"><div><img alt="A smiling woman with light skin, wearing a pink beaded necklace and earrings, is seen through blurred, out-of-focus objects creating a soft, colorful frame." class="block lazyloaded" data-nimg="1" decoding="async" height="2334" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 1001px) 600px, (min-width: 768px) 700px, 100vw" src="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_drdhj8l2ml1krdp3423hijfu40/-S3840x2561-FPNG" srcset="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_drdhj8l2ml1krdp3423hijfu40/-S640x427-FPNG 640w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_drdhj8l2ml1krdp3423hijfu40/-S750x500-FPNG 750w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_drdhj8l2ml1krdp3423hijfu40/-S768x512-FPNG 768w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_drdhj8l2ml1krdp3423hijfu40/-S828x552-FPNG 828w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_drdhj8l2ml1krdp3423hijfu40/-S1024x683-FPNG 1024w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_drdhj8l2ml1krdp3423hijfu40/-S1080x720-FPNG 1080w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_drdhj8l2ml1krdp3423hijfu40/-S1200x800-FPNG 1200w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_drdhj8l2ml1krdp3423hijfu40/-S1920x1280-FPNG 1920w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_drdhj8l2ml1krdp3423hijfu40/-S2048x1366-FPNG 2048w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_drdhj8l2ml1krdp3423hijfu40/-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 3500 2334'%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="3500"/></div></div><figcaption class="basis-full mt-[10px] text-xs text-gray-550 font-inter leading-[18px]">Pelosi speaks to reporters Monday in San Francisco after an event in support of Proposition 50. <span class="image-caption-divider"> | </span><span class="image-credit"><span class="sr-only">Source: </span>Gabrielle Lurie/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The decision, announced two days after California voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 50 — a redistricting measure Pelosi championed — touches off a succession battle in her heavily Democratic district and leaves open questions about who will inherit her influential role at the Capitol. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">State Sen. Scott Wiener, a moderate Democrat who spent two years waiting for Pelosi’s retirement in order to run for the seat, <u><a data-post-id="25cd8b4d-6299-49fc-b9a2-b6ac2ed6d45a" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/10/16/scott-wiener-running-congress-nancy-pelosi-campaign-2026/">launched his campaign</a></u> last month. <u><a data-post-id="338955e8-25c7-4441-a88e-66729f621d89" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/02/24/nancy-pelosi-challenger-saikat-chakrabarti-democrats-trump/">Saikat Chakrabarti</a></u> — a progressive tech centimillionaire who served as New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign manager and chief of staff — is another notable candidate. Pelosi’s announcement is likely to open the flood gates for more entries.  </p></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“In her years of public service, she made every day count and moved mountains for San Francisco and our nation,” Wiener said in a statement. “Her example is a guiding light to me and millions of others as we face the extreme challenges ahead.”</p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Pelosi will be a tough act to follow. A Democratic icon whose prolific fundraising chops have routinely won the party elections across the country, she led her caucus from 2002 to 2022. She served two stints as speaker, from 2007 to 2011 and 2019 to 2023, during which her strategic discipline earned her praise from allies — and grudging respect from <u><a href="https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/04/15/nancy-pelosi-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-481704" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">opponents both within the Democratic Party<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></u> and across the aisle.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Pelosi’s ability to coalesce Democratic factions made her an indispensable leader during the Obama and Biden administrations. She shepherded landmark legislation like the Affordable Care Act, the Dodd-Frank financial reforms, and pandemic relief packages.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">She championed the resistance to President Donald Trump’s policy agenda during his first term in office, when she led the House through two impeachment votes and defended democratic institutions in the aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol. </p></div><figure class=""><div class="flex justify-center"></div></figure><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“Nancy Pelosi has inspired generations. Her courage and conviction to San Francisco, California, and our nation has set the standard for what public service should be. Her impact on this nation is unmatched,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said on<a href="https://x.com/GavinNewsom/status/1986444087331795222" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> social media<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a>. “Thank you, Madam Speaker. Wishing you the best in this new chapter — you’ve more than earned it.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The daughter of five-term congressman and Baltimore mayor Thomas D’Alesandro Jr., Pelosi got her start as a fundraiser and Democratic Party organizer after moving to San Francisco with her husband in the late 1960s. She quickly made connections and rose up the ranks to serve as California’s Democratic Party chair from 1981 to 1983. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">After Rep. Sala Burton died in 1987, Pelosi won a special election for her seat and carved out a role in Washington as a leader on foreign policy, LGBTQ+ rights, and the AIDS crisis. Her career includes countless emblematic moments — from unfurling a banner criticizing China in Tiananmen Square in 1991 to shredding Trump’s 2020 State of the Union speech and donning a pair of shades in 2018 while strutting out of a combative Oval Office meeting with the president.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Mayor Daniel Lurie, who was once an intern for Pelosi, called her the “greatest speaker our nation has ever seen,” citing her work on healthcare and transforming the Presidio into a park.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“While her work brought her to the highest levels of leadership, Speaker Emerita Pelosi never forgot who she served: San Franciscans,” Lurie said in a statement. “Her service has strengthened San Francisco, inspired generations of Americans, and motivated all of us to continue working for the city we love.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">But recent years have taken a toll on Pelosi. Though she has remained influential in behind-the-scenes political fights such as Prop. 50, Pelosi has otherwise <u><a data-post-id="0e76791f-f790-4362-bb90-f1b8a83cff84" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/02/10/nancy-pelosi-donald-trump-elon-musk-democrats/">receded from the public spotlight</a></u> since stepping down from Democratic leadership in November 2022, when Republicans retook control of the House. </p></div><figure class="ImageBlock_ImageFigure__ZnquR inset-image mobile-grid-full mobile-grid-full" data-align="none"><div class="relative"><div><img alt="A woman in a pink dress holds up a wooden gavel, standing behind a podium with a microphone, with a large chair and American flag in the background." class="block lazyloaded" data-nimg="1" decoding="async" height="1704" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 1001px) 600px, (min-width: 768px) 700px, 100vw" src="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_tpue200ge50f7fdso6o3solo41/-S3840x2556-FPNG" srcset="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_tpue200ge50f7fdso6o3solo41/-S640x426-FPNG 640w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_tpue200ge50f7fdso6o3solo41/-S750x499-FPNG 750w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_tpue200ge50f7fdso6o3solo41/-S768x511-FPNG 768w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_tpue200ge50f7fdso6o3solo41/-S828x551-FPNG 828w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_tpue200ge50f7fdso6o3solo41/-S1024x682-FPNG 1024w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_tpue200ge50f7fdso6o3solo41/-S1080x719-FPNG 1080w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_tpue200ge50f7fdso6o3solo41/-S1200x799-FPNG 1200w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_tpue200ge50f7fdso6o3solo41/-S1920x1278-FPNG 1920w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_tpue200ge50f7fdso6o3solo41/-S2048x1363-FPNG 2048w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_tpue200ge50f7fdso6o3solo41/-S3840x2556-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 2560 1704'%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="2560"/></div></div><figcaption class="basis-full mt-[10px] text-xs text-gray-550 font-inter leading-[18px]">Pelosi during the opening session of the 116th Congress on Jan. 3, 2019, as House speaker for the second time.<span class="image-caption-divider"> | </span><span class="image-credit"><span class="sr-only">Source: </span>AFP via Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The month before, a man consumed by right-wing conspiracy theories broke into her Pacific Heights home in an effort to kidnap the congresswoman and attacked her husband, Paul Pelosi, with a hammer. She has often referenced her family’s trauma related to that event, and the fact that her husband hasn’t fully recovered from the attack.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Pelosi’s departure comes ahead of a crucial midterm election for Democrats.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Republicans control both chambers of Congress and have effectively ceded their power of the purse while subordinating themselves to Trump on major policy decisions. They passed sweeping tax cuts this summer through Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” while scaling back healthcare benefits and other social services. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">During a Prop. 50 rally Monday in San Francisco, Pelosi warned voters that the measure was their best chance to push back against Trump, whom she described in a CNN interview as a “<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/03/politics/video/nancy-pelosi-vile-creature-trump-elex-michaelson-vrtc" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">vile creature<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a>, the worst thing on the face of the earth.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Though her final years in Congress have been defined by her battles with Trump, she reflected on her connection to San Francisco voters in her farewell message.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">In the video, Pelosi traced her political journey from her first campaign slogan — “a voice that will be heard” — to her historic ascent as the first female speaker. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“It was you who made those words came true,” she said. “It was the faith that you had placed in me, and the latitude that you have given me that enabled me to shatter the marble ceiling and be the first woman speaker of the House, whose voice would certainly be heard.” </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">She highlighted her legislative accomplishments and emphasized investments in her district, from transportation infrastructure improvements to affordable housing initiatives and climate action.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“I say to my colleagues in the House all the time, no matter what title they had bestowed upon me — speaker, leader, whip — there has been no greater honor for me than to stand on the house floor and say, ‘I speak for the people of San Francisco,’” Pelosi said.</p></div></div>

Outside court, ICE agents lay in wait. Inside, these lawyers are immigrants’ last hope

Scott Wiener is done waiting on Nancy Pelosi. He’s running in 2026, sources say

<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/josh-koehn/">Josh Koehn</a></span><time datetime="2025-10-17T01:41:55.764Z">Published Oct. 16, 2025 • 6:41pm</time></div></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">In a move destined to roil national Democrats and spark tensions among San Francisco’s political factions, state Sen. <u><a href="https://sfstandard.com/tag/scott-wiener/">Scott Wiener</a></u> is running for the congressional seat currently held by Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, The Standard has learned.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">According to sources close to Wiener — one of California’s most prolific Democratic legislators and <u><a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/scott-wiener-right-wing-hatred-17880318.php" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a lightning rod for the conservative right<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></u> — the former San Francisco supervisor has told political allies that he plans to throw his hat in the ring for the 2026 race. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Though many in Democratic circles expected him to wait until Pelosi decided her own fate in the coming weeks, Wiener is said to be ready to accelerate that timeline. Two sources with knowledge of the campaign said a formal announcement from Wiener is expected next week.</p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Wiener previously said he would wait until Pelosi retired. But the two-time speaker of the House, who is widely regarded as one of the most powerful women in U.S. political history, has <u><a data-post-id="0e76791f-f790-4362-bb90-f1b8a83cff84" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/02/10/nancy-pelosi-donald-trump-elon-musk-democrats/">receded from the spotlight</a></u> since she gave up the gavel, creating a potential window of opportunity for <u><a data-post-id="9a0b163b-18ba-4023-b724-39cf2f06281a" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/02/26/nancy-pelosi-retirement-house-democrats-succession-plan/">challengers in the 2026 midterms</a></u>. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Wiener’s revised plans may not ultimately break his pledge. Pelosi, 85, has yet to formally announce whether she will seek a 21st term in office.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Officials for Wiener’s campaign declined to comment. In a text message Wednesday, Wiener wrote: “I’ve been preparing and raising money for whenever the race starts.”</p></div><figure class="ImageBlock_ImageFigure__ZnquR inset-image mobile-grid-full mobile-grid-full" data-align="none"><div class="relative"><div><img alt="A woman with short brown hair, wearing a beaded necklace and a textured jacket, stands in front of a blurred dome structure. Her expression is serious." class="block lazyloaded" data-nimg="1" decoding="async" height="2000" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 1001px) 600px, (min-width: 768px) 700px, 100vw" src="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_ccucjntra56nd4i5k4f20cgc4o/-S3840x2560-FPNG" srcset="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_ccucjntra56nd4i5k4f20cgc4o/-S640x427-FPNG 640w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_ccucjntra56nd4i5k4f20cgc4o/-S750x500-FPNG 750w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_ccucjntra56nd4i5k4f20cgc4o/-S768x512-FPNG 768w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_ccucjntra56nd4i5k4f20cgc4o/-S828x552-FPNG 828w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_ccucjntra56nd4i5k4f20cgc4o/-S1024x683-FPNG 1024w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_ccucjntra56nd4i5k4f20cgc4o/-S1080x720-FPNG 1080w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_ccucjntra56nd4i5k4f20cgc4o/-S1200x800-FPNG 1200w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_ccucjntra56nd4i5k4f20cgc4o/-S1920x1280-FPNG 1920w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_ccucjntra56nd4i5k4f20cgc4o/-S2048x1365-FPNG 2048w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_ccucjntra56nd4i5k4f20cgc4o/-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]">Rep. Nancy Pelosi has won 20 terms to represent San Francisco in the House, but her reign may be coming to an end.<span class="image-caption-divider"> | </span><span class="image-credit"><span class="sr-only">Source: </span>Alex Wong/Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Ian Krager, a spokesperson for Pelosi, issued a statement saying her attention is on California’s Nov. 4 special election to pass <u><a data-post-id="f2321a17-8fb1-428a-9f48-7903eef63714" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/08/21/newsom-prop-50-california-redistricting-maps-november-election/">Proposition 50,</a></u> Gov. Gavin Newsom’s ballot measure to help Democrats add five House congressional seats to counter gerrymandering by President Donald Trump and Republicans in Texas.</p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“Speaker Pelosi is fully focused on her mission to win the ‘Yes on 50' special election in California on the path to taking back the House for the Democrats,” Krager wrote. “She urges all Californians to join in that mission.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Sources close to Wiener told The Standard that the emergence of <u><a data-post-id="338955e8-25c7-4441-a88e-66729f621d89" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/02/24/nancy-pelosi-challenger-saikat-chakrabarti-democrats-trump/">progressive candidate Saikat Chakrabarti</a></u> — a centimillionaire who worked in tech before serving as a campaign manager and chief of staff to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — has been a motivating factor in Wiener’s decision to run.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">In the last few months, Chakrabarti has<u><a data-post-id="8c1049bf-793d-4075-8893-0ecfa717fe6e" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/07/30/saikat-chakrabarti-nancy-pelosi-zohran-mamdani-election/"> drawn hundreds of people to campaign kickoff events</a></u> across the city, and his campaign released a poll in September showing 65% of registered voters — including 51% of Pelosi’s supporters — believe the city needs new Congressional leadership. Chakrabarti also scored better than Pelosi in a head-to-head race after their bios were given to respondents.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“The Democratic Party needs a new kind of leader who is not a part of the establishment, because the establishment has failed us,” Chakrabarti said in a text message to The Standard. “That’s my campaign, regardless of who else is in the race.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">A source with knowledge of Wiener’s thinking said Chakrabarti’s poll was an eye-opener, suggesting that Pelosi is vulnerable. Jumping into the race now would give Wiener time to generate support and start fundraising for what will likely be an expensive campaign. His initial exploratory committee raised roughly $1 million.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“The majority of the electorate has no idea who [Chakrabarti] is, and momentum can build quickly,” the source said. “People are hungry for something different. There is a sense that the time has come for other candidates to run.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">A separate poll of 500 registered voters in San Francisco, conducted by EMC Research, confirmed that support for Pelosi has waned. Of those surveyed, 51% said they preferred to elect someone else to Congress. Wiener received the highest favorability rating, 61%, compared to other potential candidates. Progressive Supervisor Connie Chan earned a 28% favorability rate, while Chakrabarti earned 21% — the same percentage as Pelosi’s daughter, attorney and national Democratic Party member Christine Pelosi, who has long been rumored as a potential successor.</p></div><figure class="ImageBlock_ImageFigure__ZnquR inset-image mobile-grid-full mobile-grid-full" data-align="none"><div class="relative"><div><img alt="State Senator Scott Wiener leads with 61% favorability and a +24 net rating; Supervisor Connie Chan and Christine Pelosi show negative net favorability; Saikat Chakrabarti is neutral." class="block lazyloaded" data-nimg="1" decoding="async" height="1028" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 1001px) 600px, (min-width: 768px) 700px, 100vw" src="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_tfi287jtlt56b3sjqhglnp4t79/-S3840x2033-FPNG" srcset="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_tfi287jtlt56b3sjqhglnp4t79/-S640x339-FPNG 640w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_tfi287jtlt56b3sjqhglnp4t79/-S750x397-FPNG 750w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_tfi287jtlt56b3sjqhglnp4t79/-S768x407-FPNG 768w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_tfi287jtlt56b3sjqhglnp4t79/-S828x438-FPNG 828w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_tfi287jtlt56b3sjqhglnp4t79/-S1024x542-FPNG 1024w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_tfi287jtlt56b3sjqhglnp4t79/-S1080x572-FPNG 1080w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_tfi287jtlt56b3sjqhglnp4t79/-S1200x635-FPNG 1200w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_tfi287jtlt56b3sjqhglnp4t79/-S1920x1016-FPNG 1920w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_tfi287jtlt56b3sjqhglnp4t79/-S2048x1084-FPNG 2048w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_tfi287jtlt56b3sjqhglnp4t79/-S3840x2033-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 1942 1028'%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="1942"/></div></div><figcaption class="basis-full mt-[10px] text-xs text-gray-550 font-inter leading-[18px]">A poll shows state Sen. Scott Wiener having the highest favorables in a hypothetical race for Congress next year.</figcaption></figure><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Wiener, who is openly gay, has garnered a reputation in the city and statehouse as an accomplished legislator who has championed YIMBY-backed bills and other laws related to LGBGT+ rights and criminal justice reform. This year’s legislative session was one of his most successful since joining the state Senate in 2016, with Newsom signing his major  bills on<u><a data-post-id="18f95da4-5061-4efd-8f53-902a21d02efe" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/10/10/newsom-sb-79-housing-transit/"> housing</a></u> and<u><a data-post-id="f92d768b-49f4-4f45-874c-2581bb65e462" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/10/13/bay-area-transit-tax-ballot-measure-2026/"> transportation</a></u>, as well as a landmark <u><a data-post-id="61825d1f-75a5-4c64-8b3f-e49c11c1778c" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/09/29/gavin-newsom-california-ai-legislation-law-technology/">AI measure</a></u>.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">In a December 2024 <u><a data-post-id="9f472ded-e2a9-4d1b-b68b-8cee5a0ab649" href="https://sfstandard.com/opinion/2024/12/05/democrats-need-to-wake-up-and-build-real-solutions-to-californias-affordability-crisis/">op-ed for The Standard</a></u>, Wiener laid out a path for Democrats after crushing defeats in last year’s elections. He argued that Democratic-led cities and California, in particular, need to show that they can be governed well and address the affordability crisis.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“The success of the state depends on our ability to lower the most important costs facing households everywhere: child care, healthcare, energy, transportation, and, most of all, housing,” Wiener wrote. “Focusing like a laser on issues of affordability will provide a powerful contrast to Trump’s Republican Party, which continues to make costly — and largely impossible — promises rather than deal with the complexities of real-world problem-solving.”</p></div></div>

Feeling emboldened by recall, activists turn ire on another supervisor. She’s not worried

<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="2025-09-20T00:57:36.047Z">Published Sep. 19, 2025 • 5:57pm</time></div></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Feeling emboldened by the <a data-post-id="d3269933-88c9-4b5d-a826-ba1d66a31a65" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/09/16/san-francisco-joel-engardio-recall-election-results/">recall of District 4 Supervisor Joel Engardio</a>, activists are now directing their outrage at another city official they claim is out of step with constituents.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Recall enthusiasts are focusing their attention on District 7 Supervisor Myrna Melgar, who, like Engardio, supported Proposition K, the 2024 ballot measure that closed the Great Highway to cars, while representing west-side neighborhoods that voted against it. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Melgar’s district covers a swath of the city’s southwest side, anchored by West Portal and surrounded by affluent neighborhoods such as Forest Hill and St. Francis Wood, as well as the more progressive Inner Sunset and San Francisco State University. </p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"><div class="hidden border-none relative left-1/2 right-1/2 -ml-[50vw] -mr-[50vw] w-screen"><p class="text-xxs text-[#ABA29C] py-xs mx-auto hidden">ADVERTISEMENT</p><div class="overflow-hidden w-full mx-auto flex justify-center article-body max-w-[728px] max-h-[90px]"><broadstreet-zone keywords="politics" zone-id="180071" zone-instance-id=":R2cj536:"></broadstreet-zone></div></div></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“We do think the recall in District 4 has galvanized the [District 7] electorate,” Deirdre Von Rock, president of the West Portal Merchants Association, said. “[Melgar] does not listen to us.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Melgar told The Standard she is “not worried.” </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“Yes, there is a group of people who have been threatening me with a recall since I won the first time,” she said. “But D7 is very different from D4.” </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Von Rock, who is not a D7 resident, declined to share details on any organized effort to oust Melgar but said momentum has grown since Tuesday, when voters ousted Engardio. She said constituents have taken issue with Melgar’s policy positions on housing, zoning, and transportation.</p></div><figure class="ImageBlock_ImageFigure__ZnquR inset-image mobile-grid-full mobile-grid-full" data-align="none"><div class="relative"><div><img alt="A group of enthusiastic people outdoors hold signs that say “YES on K” advocating for Ocean Beach Park, smiling and raising their hands in support." 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_4u7v63dgfd4cv9hf9to2bmpq4l/-S3840x2561-FPNG" srcset="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_4u7v63dgfd4cv9hf9to2bmpq4l/-S640x427-FPNG 640w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_4u7v63dgfd4cv9hf9to2bmpq4l/-S750x500-FPNG 750w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_4u7v63dgfd4cv9hf9to2bmpq4l/-S768x512-FPNG 768w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_4u7v63dgfd4cv9hf9to2bmpq4l/-S828x552-FPNG 828w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_4u7v63dgfd4cv9hf9to2bmpq4l/-S1024x683-FPNG 1024w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_4u7v63dgfd4cv9hf9to2bmpq4l/-S1080x720-FPNG 1080w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_4u7v63dgfd4cv9hf9to2bmpq4l/-S1200x800-FPNG 1200w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_4u7v63dgfd4cv9hf9to2bmpq4l/-S1920x1281-FPNG 1920w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_4u7v63dgfd4cv9hf9to2bmpq4l/-S2048x1366-FPNG 2048w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_4u7v63dgfd4cv9hf9to2bmpq4l/-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]">Melgar supported Proposition K in 2024, despite opposition to the measure from some of her constituents.<span class="image-caption-divider"> | </span><span class="image-credit"><span class="sr-only">Source: </span>Jason Henry for The Standard</span></figcaption></figure><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“She’s totally erased …  West Portal from her constituency,” said Karen Tarantola, president of the Greater West Portal Neighborhood Association. “It’s very frustrating. We’re not being represented, period.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Despite Engardio’s overwhelming loss, recalls are no easy lift. Any effort in D7 would require major financial and political support, not to mention the roughly 10,000 signatures organizers would have to gather from registered voters in the district to qualify a special election for the ballot. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Still, recall advocates are leveraging their momentum to target supervisors for their support for urbanist policies they see as a threat to the more suburban lifestyles of quiet neighborhoods far from the city’s center. The activists are particularly concerned with Mayor Daniel Lurie’s upzoning plan to build more housing on the west side, which needs majority approval on the 11-member Board of Supervisors. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">This week, a <u><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lUVuUhsFpUepBWdQmle9h5q6g4tnNA5Z/view?usp=sharing">digital flyer</a></u> circulated on social media calling on Supervisor Danny Sauter, a moderate Democrat who represents Chinatown, Financial District, and North Beach, to think twice about supporting Lurie’s upzoning plan — lest he end up like Engardio. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“Ignore your constituents and find out,” the post said, with an image of Sauter next to Engardio, who wears a “Recalled” hat.</p></div><h2 class="heading-block article-body text-left"><b>Targeting Melgar </b></h2><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">However far-fetched some efforts may be, critics of Melgar claim she is vulnerable to a recall attempt. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The supervisor has faced criticism from constituents over what they view as anti-car policies and statements that threaten their neighborhood. In 2024, for example, Melgar called for more traffic restrictions near an intersection in her district where an SUV struck <u><a data-post-id="8d826d65-209c-4458-bdba-f5488af4691e" href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/03/18/crowd-mourns-family-members-killed-west-portal-crash/">a family of four</a></u> waiting at a bus stop. After receiving pushback from merchants and neighbors who claimed the restrictions would be too burdensome for the neighborhood, Melgar backed off. </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="1739" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 1001px) 600px, (min-width: 768px) 700px, 100vw" src="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_cpn7cth4m550varel7s06h0n26/-S3840x2688-FPNG" srcset="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_cpn7cth4m550varel7s06h0n26/-S640x448-FPNG 640w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_cpn7cth4m550varel7s06h0n26/-S750x525-FPNG 750w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_cpn7cth4m550varel7s06h0n26/-S768x538-FPNG 768w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_cpn7cth4m550varel7s06h0n26/-S828x580-FPNG 828w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_cpn7cth4m550varel7s06h0n26/-S1024x717-FPNG 1024w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_cpn7cth4m550varel7s06h0n26/-S1080x756-FPNG 1080w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_cpn7cth4m550varel7s06h0n26/-S1200x840-FPNG 1200w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_cpn7cth4m550varel7s06h0n26/-S1920x1344-FPNG 1920w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_cpn7cth4m550varel7s06h0n26/-S2048x1434-FPNG 2048w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_cpn7cth4m550varel7s06h0n26/-S3840x2688-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 2484 1739'%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="2484"/></div></div><figcaption class="basis-full mt-[10px] text-xs text-gray-550 font-inter leading-[18px]">A mourner at the intersection of Ulloa Street and Lenox Way, where a family of four was killed in a crash.<span class="image-caption-divider"> | </span><span class="image-credit"><span class="sr-only">Source: </span>Estefany Gonzalez/The Standard</span></figcaption></figure><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Melgar also drew criticism after saying in <u><a data-post-id="1c9bc748-6d55-4d80-9579-284d088b75a2" href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/04/18/san-francisco-west-portal-safety-changes/">an interview with The Standard</a></u> that if it were up to her, she would “take all of the cars off West Portal.” While that was never an official city proposal, the remark fueled backlash, and she later walked back her plan and created a community committee as a compromise.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“[Supervisors are] supposed to represent their constituents,” said West Portal resident Kris Veaca. “But instead, she was pushing her own agenda, because she doesn’t want cars.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Jamie Hughes, who managed the recall campaign against Engardio, said many volunteers were D7 residents who are also frustrated with Melgar.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Tarantola, of the Greater West Portal Neighborhood Association, said that outrage could worsen if Melgar, who often votes in favor of housing production, supports Lurie’s upzoning plan. Melgar has not confirmed if she is a definite yes vote on the legislation and has pushed during hearings for amendments on affordability and tenants’ rights.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“They were furious about the traffic plan a year ago,” Tarantola said. “And as this new plan for upzoning develops, I have a feeling we’re going to hear a lot more from my neighbors.”</p></div><h2 class="heading-block article-body text-left"><b>Have recalls gone too far?</b></h2><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Melgar would face any recall effort — however unlikely — with much better odds than Engardio. She was elected in 2020 and reelected in 2024, defeating challenger Matt Boschetto by seven points. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">And while 56% of D7 residents voted against Prop. K, that margin is much narrower than the 64% who rejected it in D4. Melgar has also built strong support across San Francisco’s political spectrum, from progressives to moderates and YIMBYs.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Melgar argued that recalls have gone too far in California. A year after voters statewide rejected an expensive recall effort against Gov. Gavin Newsom, San Francisco voters ousted District Attorney Chesa Boudin and three school board members from office. <u><a data-post-id="9218d3a0-b94a-435c-a509-f004d6673028" href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/11/05/pamela-price-sheng-thao-recalls-result/">Alameda</a></u> and <u><a href="https://www.kqed.org/news/11997219/millbrae-voters-recall-council-members-who-didnt-oppose-affordable-housing">San Mateo</a></u> counties have also recalled elected officials in recent years. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">And for every detractor, Melgar has supporters.</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="1708" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 1001px) 600px, (min-width: 768px) 700px, 100vw" src="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_mc57273t5950d51pfte4emif0m/-S3840x2562-FPNG" srcset="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_mc57273t5950d51pfte4emif0m/-S640x427-FPNG 640w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_mc57273t5950d51pfte4emif0m/-S750x500-FPNG 750w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_mc57273t5950d51pfte4emif0m/-S768x512-FPNG 768w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_mc57273t5950d51pfte4emif0m/-S828x552-FPNG 828w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_mc57273t5950d51pfte4emif0m/-S1024x683-FPNG 1024w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_mc57273t5950d51pfte4emif0m/-S1080x721-FPNG 1080w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_mc57273t5950d51pfte4emif0m/-S1200x801-FPNG 1200w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_mc57273t5950d51pfte4emif0m/-S1920x1281-FPNG 1920w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_mc57273t5950d51pfte4emif0m/-S2048x1366-FPNG 2048w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_mc57273t5950d51pfte4emif0m/-S3840x2562-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 2560 1708'%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="2560"/></div></div><figcaption class="basis-full mt-[10px] text-xs text-gray-550 font-inter leading-[18px]">Melgar argued that upzoning is not a valid reason for a recall, noting that even if she were removed, the mayor would appoint a successor aligned with his housing plan.​<span class="image-caption-divider"> | </span><span class="image-credit"><span class="sr-only">Source: </span>Michaela Vatcheva for The Standard</span></figcaption></figure><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Kath Tsakalakis, a D7 resident and cofounder of Lakeside Village Business Council, said Melgar and her team have been helpful to small businesses and residents, noting that the supervisor has facilitated new commercial leases and permits and supported building more housing. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“I can’t think of any reason why people would want to recall an experienced elected official who listens, has empathy, and knows how to get things done,” Tsakalakis said.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Even if she’s not worried about her own political future, Melgar said recalls come with consequences. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“Recalling elected officials who have not committed crimes or malfeasance destabilizes local government and has a cost,” Melgar said.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">She argued that upzoning is not a valid reason for a recall, noting that even if she were removed, the mayor would appoint a successor aligned with his housing plan.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“It is the principle that is at stake,” she said.</p></div></div>

‘Absolutely hate it’: On eve of recall, Great Highway debate is hotter than the weather

<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/gabriel-greschler/">Gabe Greschler</a></span><span>Photography by <a class="" href="https://sfstandard.com/author/amanda-andrade-rhoades/">Amanda Andrade-Rhoades</a></span><time datetime="2025-09-16T01:30:00.000Z">Published Sep. 15, 2025 • 6:30pm</time></div></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Under a cloudless sky and in 70-degree heat, Sunset resident Garrett Kelly busted out his surfboard Monday and dove into the cool Ocean Beach water. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">But the much-anticipated weather that brought streams of runners and bikers to Sunset Dunes didn’t change his opinion about the Great Highway being closed to cars. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“Absolutely hate it,” said Kelly. “Why do you need to walk on concrete? Get your feet sandy.”</p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"><div class="hidden border-none relative left-1/2 right-1/2 -ml-[50vw] -mr-[50vw] w-screen"><p class="text-xxs text-[#ABA29C] py-xs mx-auto hidden">ADVERTISEMENT</p><div class="overflow-hidden w-full mx-auto flex justify-center article-body max-w-[728px] max-h-[90px]"><broadstreet-zone keywords="politics" zone-id="180071" zone-instance-id=":R2cj536:"></broadstreet-zone></div></div></div><figure class="ImageBlock_ImageFigure__ZnquR inset-image mobile-grid-full mobile-grid-full" data-align="none"><div class="relative"><div><img alt="A shirtless, tattooed man in black wetsuit pants stands barefoot on wet sand, holding a yellow surfboard near the ocean with waves and a clear blue sky." class="block lazyloaded" data-nimg="1" decoding="async" height="5124" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 1001px) 600px, (min-width: 768px) 700px, 100vw" src="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_pmimp37j552m38se5tdv3qg01j/-S3840x2561-FPNG" srcset="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_pmimp37j552m38se5tdv3qg01j/-S640x427-FPNG 640w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_pmimp37j552m38se5tdv3qg01j/-S750x500-FPNG 750w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_pmimp37j552m38se5tdv3qg01j/-S768x512-FPNG 768w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_pmimp37j552m38se5tdv3qg01j/-S828x552-FPNG 828w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_pmimp37j552m38se5tdv3qg01j/-S1024x683-FPNG 1024w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_pmimp37j552m38se5tdv3qg01j/-S1080x720-FPNG 1080w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_pmimp37j552m38se5tdv3qg01j/-S1200x800-FPNG 1200w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_pmimp37j552m38se5tdv3qg01j/-S1920x1281-FPNG 1920w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_pmimp37j552m38se5tdv3qg01j/-S2048x1366-FPNG 2048w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_pmimp37j552m38se5tdv3qg01j/-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 7682 5124'%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="7682"/></div></div><figcaption class="basis-full mt-[10px] text-xs text-gray-550 font-inter leading-[18px]">Garrett Kelly thinks the closure of the Great Highway is a land grab for more development.</figcaption></figure><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Kelly’s neighbors could soon get their revenge. Supervisor Joel Engardio faces a recall election Tuesday over his support for the Great Highway’s closure in a backlash to his urbanist policies, and election data shows <u><a data-post-id="3399ed54-813d-49ea-8690-41e70886ad77" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/09/10/betrayal-zones-sunset-maps-show-engardio-might-goner-recall-election/">he could be in trouble</a></u>. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Engardio’s potential ouster may be just the first step in a political coup de grâce. Recall organizers say they are scheming about how to repeal Proposition K, the <u><a data-post-id="fe879cc8-f8f8-47a4-8f46-5b720dda3758" href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/10/31/sf-election-2024-prop-k-great-highway/">controversial ballot measure</a></u> that sealed off the Great Highway in November for its conversion to Sunset Dunes. Proponents of the repeal are in the discussion phase — they first have to win the recall — and many hurdles await. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“I think there is a lot of hope and expectation to get it on the ballot,” said Jamie Hughes, who is leading the Engardio recall effort. “Either way, it is a tough fight.”</p></div><figure class="ImageBlock_ImageFigure__ZnquR inset-image mobile-grid-full mobile-grid-full" data-align="none"><div class="relative"><div><img alt="A woman with dark hair tied back stands outdoors against a clear blue sky, wearing a patterned blouse and jeans, with one hand in her pocket." class="block lazyloaded" data-nimg="1" decoding="async" height="3922" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 1001px) 600px, (min-width: 768px) 700px, 100vw" src="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_5rai9fepkh0dl9v6omu3181016/-S3840x2561-FPNG" srcset="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_5rai9fepkh0dl9v6omu3181016/-S640x427-FPNG 640w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_5rai9fepkh0dl9v6omu3181016/-S750x500-FPNG 750w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_5rai9fepkh0dl9v6omu3181016/-S768x512-FPNG 768w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_5rai9fepkh0dl9v6omu3181016/-S828x552-FPNG 828w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_5rai9fepkh0dl9v6omu3181016/-S1024x683-FPNG 1024w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_5rai9fepkh0dl9v6omu3181016/-S1080x720-FPNG 1080w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_5rai9fepkh0dl9v6omu3181016/-S1200x800-FPNG 1200w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_5rai9fepkh0dl9v6omu3181016/-S1920x1281-FPNG 1920w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_5rai9fepkh0dl9v6omu3181016/-S2048x1366-FPNG 2048w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_5rai9fepkh0dl9v6omu3181016/-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 5880 3922'%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="5880"/></div></div><figcaption class="basis-full mt-[10px] text-xs text-gray-550 font-inter leading-[18px]">Stacie Dong is against bringing cars back to the Great Highway.</figcaption></figure><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">That hasn’t stopped some from dreaming of cars, once again, whizzing by on the sandy roads — with pedestrians shunted to the sidewalks.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“A hundred percent,” said Kelly of his support for repealing Prop. K. “I think it’s just a land grab. … It’s the first step to privatization of public space.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">A stone’s throw from the beach, Megan Finn sat on a Lyft bike along the Great Highway. Finn brings her son to the pathway daily to ride his bike or skateboard. But she’s not convinced it’s worth closing the road to cars.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“I love this,” she said as she balanced on her bicycle. “But I still don’t understand why they did this.”</p></div><figure class="ImageBlock_ImageFigure__ZnquR inset-image mobile-grid-full mobile-grid-full" data-align="none"><div class="relative"><div><img alt="A woman wearing sunglasses and headphones rides a white Lyft bike on a sunny paved path near sandy dunes, with mountains in the background." class="block lazyloaded" data-nimg="1" decoding="async" height="4530" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 1001px) 600px, (min-width: 768px) 700px, 100vw" src="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_uq0terp6ht6stch5df9tmnss32/-S3840x2562-FPNG" srcset="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_uq0terp6ht6stch5df9tmnss32/-S640x427-FPNG 640w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_uq0terp6ht6stch5df9tmnss32/-S750x500-FPNG 750w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_uq0terp6ht6stch5df9tmnss32/-S768x512-FPNG 768w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_uq0terp6ht6stch5df9tmnss32/-S828x552-FPNG 828w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_uq0terp6ht6stch5df9tmnss32/-S1024x683-FPNG 1024w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_uq0terp6ht6stch5df9tmnss32/-S1080x720-FPNG 1080w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_uq0terp6ht6stch5df9tmnss32/-S1200x800-FPNG 1200w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_uq0terp6ht6stch5df9tmnss32/-S1920x1281-FPNG 1920w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_uq0terp6ht6stch5df9tmnss32/-S2048x1366-FPNG 2048w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_uq0terp6ht6stch5df9tmnss32/-S3840x2562-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 6791 4530'%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="6791"/></div></div><figcaption class="basis-full mt-[10px] text-xs text-gray-550 font-inter leading-[18px]">Megan Finn says she enjoys Sunset Dunes but doesn’t understand why the road was shut off to cars.</figcaption></figure><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">A large swath of Sunset residents — 64% — voted against Prop. K in November. The measure passed citywide by 55% —  a meager margin that gave anti-Engardio forces political energy to receive enough recall <u><a data-post-id="3bc9e394-2afe-40db-8e5d-773e9fadbde4" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/05/21/engardio-recall-campaign-signatures-great-highway/">signatures by March</a></u>. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Along the car-free road Monday, the controversy was too much for some to weigh in. Many park-goers declined to comment, grimacing at the thought of speaking publicly about such a hot topic. Some said they feared what their friends would say. Others saw the recall effort in another light: as anti-democratic.</p></div><figure class="ImageBlock_ImageFigure__ZnquR inset-image mobile-grid-full mobile-grid-full" data-align="none"><div class="relative"><div><img alt="A person wearing a hat and blue skirt stands among sand dunes with dry grass near a calm ocean under a clear blue sky." class="block lazyloaded" data-nimg="1" decoding="async" height="5219" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 1001px) 600px, (min-width: 768px) 700px, 100vw" src="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_6qskso213p7al7fo5k8at7nj5n/-S3840x2561-FPNG" srcset="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_6qskso213p7al7fo5k8at7nj5n/-S640x427-FPNG 640w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_6qskso213p7al7fo5k8at7nj5n/-S750x500-FPNG 750w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_6qskso213p7al7fo5k8at7nj5n/-S768x512-FPNG 768w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_6qskso213p7al7fo5k8at7nj5n/-S828x552-FPNG 828w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_6qskso213p7al7fo5k8at7nj5n/-S1024x683-FPNG 1024w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_6qskso213p7al7fo5k8at7nj5n/-S1080x720-FPNG 1080w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_6qskso213p7al7fo5k8at7nj5n/-S1200x800-FPNG 1200w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_6qskso213p7al7fo5k8at7nj5n/-S1920x1281-FPNG 1920w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_6qskso213p7al7fo5k8at7nj5n/-S2048x1366-FPNG 2048w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_6qskso213p7al7fo5k8at7nj5n/-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 7825 5219'%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="7825"/></div></div><figcaption class="basis-full mt-[10px] text-xs text-gray-550 font-inter leading-[18px]">Proposition K passed with 55% of the vote in November 2024, but many Sunset neighbors voted against it.</figcaption></figure><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Laurence Delisle is one of those people. On Monday, just a day after coming home from the hospital after giving birth, she sat on one of the Sunset Dunes benches reading. Before the road’s closure, she used it to drive down to the South Bay daily. The detour has added only two minutes to her commute. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“Sunset Dunes is the best thing that has happened to this neighborhood,” said Delisle. “I think Joel has done amazing things for this neighborhood. A recall should be reserved for someone who has done egregious acts. I don’t think Joel qualifies for that.” </p></div><figure class="ImageBlock_ImageFigure__ZnquR inset-image mobile-grid-full mobile-grid-full" data-align="none"><div class="relative"><div><img alt="A wide, empty road divided by greenery shows people walking, biking, and jogging with dunes and mountains in the distant background under a clear sky." class="block lazyloaded" data-nimg="1" decoding="async" height="3965" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 1001px) 600px, (min-width: 768px) 700px, 100vw" src="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_d5ia4souq51mlaj5va9s6mih3l/-S3840x2562-FPNG" srcset="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_d5ia4souq51mlaj5va9s6mih3l/-S640x427-FPNG 640w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_d5ia4souq51mlaj5va9s6mih3l/-S750x500-FPNG 750w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_d5ia4souq51mlaj5va9s6mih3l/-S768x512-FPNG 768w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_d5ia4souq51mlaj5va9s6mih3l/-S828x552-FPNG 828w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_d5ia4souq51mlaj5va9s6mih3l/-S1024x683-FPNG 1024w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_d5ia4souq51mlaj5va9s6mih3l/-S1080x720-FPNG 1080w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_d5ia4souq51mlaj5va9s6mih3l/-S1200x800-FPNG 1200w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_d5ia4souq51mlaj5va9s6mih3l/-S1920x1281-FPNG 1920w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_d5ia4souq51mlaj5va9s6mih3l/-S2048x1366-FPNG 2048w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_d5ia4souq51mlaj5va9s6mih3l/-S3840x2562-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 5944 3965'%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="5944"/></div></div><figcaption class="basis-full mt-[10px] text-xs text-gray-550 font-inter leading-[18px]">Moderate allies of Supervisor Joel Engardio, including Mayor Daniel Lurie, have not supported his anti-recall efforts.</figcaption></figure><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">She said she would be “devastated” if cars returned to the walkway.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Others are more cynical about the whole thing.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“I would think it’s dumb,” Renee LaRose said of a potential Prop. K repeal. “But I think a lot of San Francisco politics is kind of dumb.”</p></div></div>

A critical fund for housing almost died. Now it comes with a major caveat

<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/kevin-v-nguyen/">Kevin V. Nguyen</a></span><time datetime="2025-09-12T13:00:00.000Z">Published Sep. 12, 2025 • 6:00am</time></div></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">For more than a decade, the city of San Francisco wanted to turn the <u><a href="https://sunnysidehistory.org/2018/01/28/greyhounds-aeroplanes-and-wheelbarrows-the-history-of-the-balboa-reservoir-1894-1944/">historic Balboa Reservoir</a></u> — long used as a parking lot for City College — into a 1,100-unit housing complex. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">It took five years to entitle the project and sell the 17-acre lot to Bridge Housing in 2022. But because of the <u><a data-post-id="8d23b7e2-2a5e-44bc-b7f5-d6d98a00845f" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/08/28/bay-area-apartment-rents-residential-development/">financing crunch of the past several years</a></u>, the developer never broke ground.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Then, state money started flowing in, allowing construction to begin this year. One pot of funding came from California’s Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities program, which awarded the developer $45.7 million to help pay for one tower with 159 affordable housing units.</p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"><div class="hidden relative left-1/2 right-1/2 -ml-[50vw] -mr-[50vw] w-screen"><p class="text-xxs text-[#ABA29C] py-xs mx-auto">ADVERTISEMENT</p><div class="overflow-hidden w-full mx-auto flex justify-center article-body max-w-[728px] max-h-[90px]"><broadstreet-zone keywords="politics" zone-id="180071" zone-instance-id=":R2cj536:"></broadstreet-zone></div></div></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The obscure program has a nice name, but contrary to most other public subsidies, it wasn’t funded by taxpayers. Rather, the money was collected from the state’s biggest polluters.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">AHSC is funded through California’s first-in-the-nation cap-and-trade program, which since 2012 has set limits on how much carbon can be emitted into the atmosphere. Future allowances under those “caps” are auctioned off every year to companies. The more a corporation pays, the more it can pollute. Those revenues are collected by the state and routed toward subsidizing public transit, affordable housing development, and renewable energy projects. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Since federal funds for such endeavors are increasingly <u><a data-post-id="8ec326d8-8265-4859-9a44-64159d90727c" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/03/17/trump-hud-cuts-threaten-san-francisco-affordable-housing/">off the table</a></u>, developers and transit agencies have become more reliant on cap-and-trade, which has generated some $4 billion annually. But until this week, cap-and-trade was facing dire straits: It was set to expire in 2030, and lawmakers had yet to agree on a framework for an extension. </p></div><div class=""></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">With Gov. Gavin Newsom approaching his final year in office, and without any certainty that the auctions would continue, companies started purchasing fewer polluting credits. </p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">A last-minute, <u><a href="https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/09/10/governor-newsom-legislative-leaders-announce-major-deal-to-save-money-on-electric-bills-stabilize-gas-market-cut-pollution/">closed-doors deal Wednesday</a></u> between the governor and leaders in the state Assembly and Senate appears to have salvaged cap-and-trade — now renamed “cap-and-invest” — albeit with major changes that would go into effect if the Legislature approves two bills, <u><a href="https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB1207/id/3136896">AB 1207</a></u> and <u><a href="https://legiscan.com/CA/text/SB840/id/3191153">SB 840</a></u>, on Saturday. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">SB 840 is the most consequential of the two, since it proposes reforms to which programs get prioritized and how much funds they receive. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The biggest proposed change is a $1 billion carveout for the state’s <u><a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/trumps-transportation-secretary-sean-p-duffy-pulls-plug-4b-california-high-speed">much-maligned</a></u>, <u><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/04/us/high-speed-rail-california.html">oft-delayed</a></u> high-speed rail project and $1 billion for discretionary spending on issues such as wildfire prevention. The governor’s office <u><a href="https://hsr.ca.gov/2025/05/15/building-smarter-faster-high-speed-rail-authority-to-advance-bold-vision-with-private-sector/">insisted on funding guarantees for</a></u> those priorities before revenues can be dispersed to AHSC and other programs.  </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">This could be bad news for San Franciscans, with affordable housing and transit getting the short end of the stick. Previously, those programs received continuous, percentage-based funding that would rise or fall depending on auction revenue. Now, they’re further back in line.</p></div><figure class="ImageBlock_ImageFigure__ZnquR inset-image mobile-grid-full mobile-grid-full" data-align="none"><div class="relative"><div><img alt="A sleek Siemens train nose is displayed outdoors near a large white domed government building, with people taking photos nearby." class="block lazyloaded" data-nimg="1" decoding="async" height="1508" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 1001px) 600px, (min-width: 768px) 700px, 100vw" src="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_9q2a814crl5k1eb5q4p9emei1j/-S3840x2262-FPNG" srcset="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_9q2a814crl5k1eb5q4p9emei1j/-S640x377-FPNG 640w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_9q2a814crl5k1eb5q4p9emei1j/-S750x442-FPNG 750w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_9q2a814crl5k1eb5q4p9emei1j/-S768x452-FPNG 768w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_9q2a814crl5k1eb5q4p9emei1j/-S828x488-FPNG 828w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_9q2a814crl5k1eb5q4p9emei1j/-S1024x603-FPNG 1024w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_9q2a814crl5k1eb5q4p9emei1j/-S1080x636-FPNG 1080w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_9q2a814crl5k1eb5q4p9emei1j/-S1200x707-FPNG 1200w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_9q2a814crl5k1eb5q4p9emei1j/-S1920x1131-FPNG 1920w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_9q2a814crl5k1eb5q4p9emei1j/-S2048x1206-FPNG 2048w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_9q2a814crl5k1eb5q4p9emei1j/-S3840x2262-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 2560 1508'%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="2560"/></div></div><figcaption class="basis-full mt-[10px] text-xs text-gray-550 font-inter leading-[18px]">A full-scale mock-up of a high-speed train is displayed at the Capitol in Sacramento. | Rich Pedroncelli<span class="image-caption-divider"> | </span><span class="image-credit"><span class="sr-only">Source: </span>AP</span></figcaption></figure><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Critics of the new approach say the remaining pot of money might be spread too thin by the time it reaches AHSC, hampering its ability to capture additional revenue if auction proceeds do increase.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Still, this deal was better than nothing at all, said Laura Tolkoff, transportation policy director at the Bay Area urbanist nonprofit SPUR. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“SB 840 goes a long way to provide stable funding for affordable housing and transit,” she said. “It is important to move forward with the reauthorization and have stable funding for the infrastructure California needs to maintain its economic strength and become more affordable, accessible, and climate resilient.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">AB 1207, meanwhile, proposes moving the cap-and-trade program away from state targets and tying the carbon caps to the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2023 guidelines. The authors of the bill say that shift would provide more long-term stability to the auction market. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Should the bills pass, it is expected that the cap-and-trade program will be extended to 2045. </p></div><div class=""></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Matt Schwartz, president and CEO of California Housing Partnership, estimates that the AHSC program should get at least $800 million a year under the new deal, an increase from the $545 million it got last year. In a joint study conducted this year with Enterprise Community Partners, CHP estimated that the AHSC program has helped produce more than 20,000 affordable homes in the state. Building housing and improving public transit cuts down on commuting time, thus reducing carbon emissions from cars, the report says.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Since 2014, California’s cap-and-trade program has been linked to a version by the Québec Ministry of Environment. Together, the two form a larger market for multinational companies to bid on. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">In the latest <u><a href="https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/our-work/programs/cap-and-trade-program/auction-information">quarterly auction</a></u>, held last month, the programs sold $51.8 million in allowances for this year and $6.8 million for advance allowances for 2028.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">San Francisco and Los Angeles counties have received the most AHSC funding since the program launched. Last year, two affordable housing projects totaling more than 170 units, at 160 Freelon St. and 65 Santos St., received more than $70 million. The year before, three projects in the city were awarded a total of $118.6 million. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The extension of cap-and-trade — even with the new carveouts and caveats — will be welcome news for the city’s affordable housing developers.</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>

Engardio wants to spruce up Sunset Boulevard. Recallers say it’s ‘too little too late’


<p>Six weeks before a Sept. 16 recall election that could end his political career, San Francisco Supervisor Joel Engardio is scrambling for a win — any win — to show voters he’s worth keeping around.&nbsp;</p>



<p>During a press conference Monday in the overcast Outer Sunset, Engardio announced a $1.5 million plan to revitalize a 2-mile strip of Sunset Boulevard he has dubbed the Emerald Necklace. State and city funding will go toward installing a new irrigation system that replaces potable water with recycled water, and upgrading the landscaping.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>“We have this amazing natural beauty,” Engardio said at the event. “We can realize its full potential.”</p>



<p>Hundreds of trees and other landscaping that line Sunset Boulevard have suffered from years of drought, deferred maintenance, and outdated irrigation infrastructure, according to Engardio’s office.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The state provided $1 million to upgrade the irrigation system, and $500,000 from the city will support a dedicated landscape crew for mowing, weeding, plant and tree care, and irrigation upkeep.</p>



<p>Local residents have <a href="https://www.friendsofsunsetboulevardsf.org/">long pushed for the upgrades</a>, calling for more climate-resilient infrastructure along Sunset Boulevard to better withstand droughts.</p>



<p>State Sen. Scott Wiener, a staunch Engardio ally who spearheaded the state funding, said the upgrades will benefit the neighborhood. “As we make this investment, we&#8217;re going to see more Sunset residents, more families, really use it,” he said at the press conference.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" height="1875" width="2500" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/img_9961.jpg?w=2500" alt="A group of people stand outdoors near a podium labeled &quot;Public Works.&quot; Trees and greenery are in the background, with some wearing professional attire and others in casual wear." class="wp-image-423810" srcset="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/img_9961.jpg 4032w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/img_9961.jpg?resize=300,225 300w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/img_9961.jpg?resize=768,576 768w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/img_9961.jpg?resize=2500,1875 2500w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/img_9961.jpg?resize=1536,1152 1536w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/img_9961.jpg?resize=2048,1536 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Engardio announces the &#8220;Emerald Necklace&#8221; project Monday alongside other officials.</figcaption></figure>



<p>That support could be politically beneficial to Engardio, who is fighting to keep his job after outraging Sunset voters in November when he championed Proposition K, the ballot measure that transformed a portion of the Great Highway into the Sunset Dunes park.</p>



<p>The measure passed with 55% of the vote citywide but drew fierce opposition within Engardio’s west-side district, where 64% voted against it.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-last-ditch-effort">A last-ditch effort?</h2>



<p>While Engardio’s supporters have raised $700,000 to fight the recall effort, more than three times as much as his opponents have raised, the supervisor faces a brutal fight to keep his job. Mayor Daniel Lurie has <a href="https://link.sfstandard.com/view/64c990adfdb9f77eaca92aa7obro1.1n1/972c4451">refused to take a position on the recall</a>; the local Democratic party has also not weighed in, leaving Engardio without much institutional backing.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Engardio denied that the Sunset Boulevard project was politically motivated, emphasizing that he has been working on it since taking office in 2023.</p>



<p>“I’ve been saying ‘Emerald Necklace’ to anyone who’s ever come into my office,” he said. “It’s been something I’ve been talking about for two and a half years.”</p>



<p>Jason McDaniel, an associate professor of political science at San Francisco State University, said it&#8217;s clear Engardio is trying to demonstrate to voters before the recall that he is focused on local issues.</p>



<p>“This press conference shows, ‘I’m doing things you want me to do, right?’” McDaniel said. “Even if we disagree on one issue, I’m still serving the district well in other ways.”</p>



<p>Monday’s event was not without political tension. Sunset resident Lisa Arjes, a recall supporter and an advocate for the Sunset Boulevard renovation, showed up to the event to distribute a statement thanking city leaders for taking action.</p>



<p>“We have advocated for eight years,” Arjes said in the statement. “It is good to see additional resources finally brought to bear on the completion of this project.”</p>



<p>But it’s not likely that Arjes and others who see the project as beneficial to the community will spare Engardio at the ballot box in September. Arjes has contributed $41,525 to the effort to oust the supervisor, making her the campaign’s biggest donor.&nbsp;</p>



<p>“He’s going to have a hard time surviving this,” said McDaniel. “Most politicians, once they’re on a recall ballot, it’s very difficult to defeat it.”</p>



<p>Jamie Hughes, who is leading the campaign to recall Engardio, said the Emerald Necklace is “too little too late.” He called it a last-ditch effort by a supervisor desperate to notch a political victory ahead of the recall.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>“This is a classic example of a politician trying to save face,” Hughes said. “It’s time for the sun to set on Joel Engardio as a supervisor.”</p>


Popular Sunset Night Market killed for 2025, thanks to bitter SF politics


<p>A popular night market in the Outer Sunset will not return this year amid blowback over the Great Highway’s closure.</p>



<p>The <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2023/04/03/asia-is-full-of-night-markets-san-francisco-may-have-one-this-summer/">Sunset Night Market</a> on Irving Street, which has drawn thousands since it launched two years ago, is not scheduled to return this summer, according to organizers and Supervisor Joel Engardio.&nbsp;</p>



<p>San Francisco’s notoriously ugly politics could be to blame.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Engardio, who spearheaded and helped secure city funding for the market, which was held in late August and late September last year, is facing a <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/05/29/joel-engardio-supervisor-recall-september/">September recall election</a> over his role in Proposition K, the ballot measure that permanently closed the Great Highway to cars and converted it into the park now known as Sunset Dunes.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Albert Chow, a supporter of the recall campaign and owner of Great Wall Hardware in the Sunset, said many in the business community have soured on the night market.</p>



<p>“[The merchants] just didn’t feel it this year,” Chow said. “Overall, there’s a sense that Engardio lacks leadership.”</p>



<p>Prop. K passed in November with more than 55% of the vote. But the measure was overwhelmingly rejected by voters in west-side neighborhoods such as the Richmond and Sunset, where more motorists relied on the highway.</p>



<p>Outrage over Engardio’s support for Prop. K came to a head in May, when the campaign to recall him submitted 10,523 valid signatures from voters in his district. A special election <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/05/29/joel-engardio-supervisor-recall-september/">on the recall is set for Sept. 16</a>.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" height="1560" width="2500" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/20240901-stinkytofu_010.jpg?w=2500" alt="A bustling street fair with numerous white tents and a large crowd of people. The lively scene includes colorful booths and various storefronts on both sides." class="wp-image-306878" srcset="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/20240901-stinkytofu_010.jpg 3594w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/20240901-stinkytofu_010.jpg?resize=300,187 300w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/20240901-stinkytofu_010.jpg?resize=768,479 768w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/20240901-stinkytofu_010.jpg?resize=2500,1560 2500w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/20240901-stinkytofu_010.jpg?resize=1536,958 1536w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/20240901-stinkytofu_010.jpg?resize=2048,1278 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Crowds throng the Sunset Night Market on Aug. 30, 2024.</figcaption></figure>



<p>That has made the night market politically radioactive and fueled speculation from Engardio supporters that recall proponents are intentionally scuttling the popular event to avoid handing the supervisor a win before the election.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Alice Liu, a Sunset resident and an Engardio supporter, said the night market has rebranded the otherwise sleepy neighborhood as a cool destination. She expressed anger at the recall campaign for disrupting the community and is asking the voters to vote against the recall.</p>



<p>“Losing the Sunset Night Market feels like a step backward,” said Liu. “It’s disappointing that a small group of angry people has caused so much chaos.”</p>



<p>Market organizers have <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QS6VECU8Xy3cUL3HpPrBPy0nt3GVPgYK/view?usp=sharing">proposed</a> using a smaller portion of the event’s funding to support and expand a <a href="https://sunsetmercantilesf.com/holidaysontaraval2024/">December tree-lighting festival</a>, and floated the idea of using the remaining money to relaunch a scaled-back version of the night market during the Lunar New Year.</p>



<p>Last September, a smaller night market<a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/09/17/night-market-ocean-beach-great-highway/"> was held at the Great Highway in conjunction with the bigger Irving Street events</a>. But it is unlikely to happen this year amid pushback from Ocean Beach merchants who have <a href="https://link.sfstandard.com/view/6436ea099b26044931999510my0ry.qa/976e7434">opposed all commercial activity in the area</a>.</p>



<p>Engardio told The Standard the night market is expected to restart in early 2026.</p>



<p>“Politics should not be part of the night market. It&#8217;s about bringing people together and creating joy,” the supervisor said. “At the end of the day, most people say they love the night market.”</p>



<p>Over the last two years, the markets have drawn tens of thousands of visitors to food and art vendors lined up along seven blocks of Irving Street.</p>



<p>The markets have served as a way to highlight the Sunset’s rich Asian food and cultural scenes with events such as a <a href="https://abc7news.com/post/abc7-news-anchor-dion-lim-throws-down-sfs-3rd-sunset-night-market-durian-eating-contest/15369028/">durian-eating contest</a> and an appearance last year by celebrity chef Martin Yan.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" height="1667" width="2500" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/20240901-stinkytofu_018.jpg?w=2500" alt="Two people grill skewers at an outdoor market. Smoke rises from the grills, and a crowd gathers nearby, mingling around vendor tents." class="wp-image-306886" srcset="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/20240901-stinkytofu_018.jpg 5623w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/20240901-stinkytofu_018.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/20240901-stinkytofu_018.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/20240901-stinkytofu_018.jpg?resize=2500,1667 2500w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/20240901-stinkytofu_018.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/20240901-stinkytofu_018.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Khasan Mamatkhanov of Nafisa’s Table grills lamb skewers at the Sunset Night Market in 2024.</figcaption></figure>



<p>But politics have clouded the event. Engardio said some merchants and opponents of Prop. K threatened to boycott last year’s markets unless he withdrew his support for the measure.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Chow denied that recall supporters are plotting to kill the night market but accused Engardio of trying to take credit for it, saying it is a community-led initiative. Engardio countered that he has always emphasized his partnership with community groups.</p>



<p>The recall campaign against Engardio said the supervisor should blame himself for the cancellation of this year’s markets.</p>



<p>“This is just another failure by Supervisor Engardio,” Jamie Hughes, the campaign leader, told The Standard.</p>



<p>Lily Wong, lead organizer of the night market and director of the Sunset Chinese Cultural District, said more organizers wanted to scale back the event, which some contend has grown overwhelming since its 2023 start. She blamed San Francisco’s bureaucracy, noting that the 2024 city payments to event organizers didn’t arrive until this year, causing financial strain.</p>



<p>The city’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development confirmed that it is reviewing the market’s current proposal and that $100,000 in funding is allocated to host the events. The agency also confirmed that last year’s funding, which amounted to $120,000, was disbursed in full by May.</p>



<p>Awadalla Awadalla, owner of Hole in the Wall Pizza on Irving Street and a prominent business leader in the Sunset, said it&#8217;s &#8220;very bad&#8221; that the night market is not coming back this year.</p>



<p>He pushed back on claims that business owners in the neighborhood aren&#8217;t interested in the market this year. Awadalla said the events put Irving Street “on the map” and drew people from across the city to the neighborhood.</p>



<p>“I felt betrayed,” Awadalla said. “I thought the night market was one of the best things to happen to the Sunset.”</p>


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