A day after announcing his bid for California Assembly, San Francisco District 9 Supervisor David Campos made his candidacy official Thursday by filing paperwork at City Hall. If elected in 2014, Campos would be the first Latino to serve the State Assembly in the history of San Francisco.
Campos, along with children and their parents wearing yellow campaign shirts, rode the 49-Mission/Van Ness bus from 24th and Mission streets to City Hall where the supervisor submitted documents at the Elections Office.
Campos said he wants to concentrate his efforts on children’s education.
“For me this campaign and this election are about giving every child in California the same opportunities that I had as a kid. I came here as an immigrant kid. My parents had no money and what was able to change my life was public education,” Campos said.
Many of Campos’ supporters said his track record of helping low-income families, immigrants, neighborhood tenants and the LGBT community make him an ideal candidate.
Campos was a big proponent of the Free Muni for Youth program, which has given more than 30,000 low-income children free access to public transportation.
“Just like he supported us to create change with public transportation, we are here to support David Campos for his candidacy. We are 100 percent confident that he will make laws that will help San Francisco’s poorest communities,” said Manuela Esteban, an activist involved in the Free Muni for Youth program.
Campos, 42, has previously served as deputy city attorney and police commissioner for San Francisco before being elected as district supervisor in 2008 and reelected for a second term in 2014.
The supervisor who has been an ardent supporter of LGBT rights, would not be the first gay Democrat to fill the position as the three previous leaders, including current Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, have been openly gay. However, there has yet to be a Latino assemblyman representing San Francisco.
“I’ve been shocked to learn that there hasn’t been a Latino representing San Francisco in the history of the City,” Campos said. “I think that the Latino community has the talent to be able to represent this district, but at the end of the day it’s not that you belong to one group or the other; it’s what you bring as a candidate and I believe my record of accomplishment speaks for itself,”
Ammiano, who has already endorsed Campos’ candidacy, vouched for his qualifications.
“I think David is completely competent and committed to the social justice issues that I’ve worked on,” Ammiano said. “The guy has fire in his belly and is not a quitter and he’s the type of person San Francisco needs up in Sacramento.”
Standing at City Hall with a dozen children wearing campaign shirts, Campos said “I feel honored and very proud that we finalized this step with these kids here. I picture myself as a kid in their shoes when I came here.”
Campos said that the first fundraiser for his campaign would be held sometime in September.
“… before being elected as district supervisor in 2008 and reelected for a second term in 2014.”
2014? Really? That’s next year
Thanks for letting us know about this mistake. We will take care of it right away.
Going from SF Supes to State Assembly is a transition between an ineffective government committee to the most ineffective government committee. Good to see him out of D9 though.
Yeah, maybe someone will spend their two terms actually trying to mitigate and solve the problems that have long-plagued the neighborhood rather than trying to rename airports, etc.
Seems like nobody wants to run District 9 as it is. I haven’t heard of a single hopeful, and Campos ran unopposed last time.
Who’s gonna take his place? Nobody? (Wouldn’t surprise me)
How could we possibly tell the difference?
Thanks David for all the great work you did in the Mission and District 9!
LOL!
I don’t think playing the race card is a good way to start a campaign. But it would be great to get him out of SF. He’s done nothing to reduce crime or improve quality of life in the Mission.
Luckily he didn’t play the race card, eh? Also, I feel like he has done as much as a lawmaker can. See: the coming gun buyback, helping low-income kids get to school, allocating money for at-risk youth outreach, and being in (very public) touch with Captain Moser at Mission Station (you know, those public safety officials).
Just sayin’. 😉 Knowledge is power.
You are David Campos and I claime my five dollars.