Welcome back to the “Meet the Candidates” series for District 11, where we ask each candidate to answer one question per week leading up to the election, with answers in about 100 words.
District 11 Supervisor Ahsha Safaí is termed out and running for mayor and, so far, seven candidates have thrown their hats in the ring to replace him as the representative of the Excelsior, Oceanview and the Outer Mission. We are able to hear from five of them.
In week 9, we are asking: How did you vote on Proposition E? What are the best and worst elements of this proposition?
Note: Next week, I’ll be in District 11 at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, May 1, at Excelsior Coffee at 4495 Mission St Drop by and share your thoughts!
Adlah Chisti
- Job: Public policy analyst, caregiver
- Age: 40
- Residency: Live with parents and caregive for them, born in District 11 in 1983 and lived there since, moved out in 2013 and back in 2017
- Transportation: Public
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in politics and in environmental science, and master’s degree in education from University of San Francisco, master’s degree in public policy from Georgetown McCourt School of Public Policy, juris doctorate from University of California Law, San Francisco
- Languages: English, Spanish, Hindi
Public safety is a basic necessity for children, families, seniors and women.
Proposition E was poorly written. The pandemic led to less patrols and visibility due to low staffing at SFPD and support measures to hire staff.
My public-safety plan will include increased visibility of officers through foot and bike patrol. I support measures that allow officers to be in the community and to build relationships. The ambassador program and community policing is vital for safety. We should know our neighbors.
What we don’t know is if surveillance and drone technology will be in lieu of more officers … read more here
Ernest “E.J.” Jones
- Job: Community advocate
- Age: 38
- Residency: Living in District 11 since November 1985 and has lived here always, except for time away at college
I voted no on Proposition E in the March Election. In my opinion, Prop. E tackled three issues: Government surveillance, police pursuit and police accountability.
I support the use of technology, and I support the use of drones. However, it is important that there is a community process when new technology is proposed.
Police pursuits are inherently dangerous. Our officers use their experience and judgment to make decisions around chases. I have a trust for our department. However, I believe the laws that were on the books were sufficient and aligned with national standards.
Police accountability is essential to building … read more here
Endorsed by: Supervisors Shamann Walton and Myrna Melgar, Assemblymember Matt Haney, Former SF mayor Willie Brown Jr., Transit Workers Union Local 250A… read more here
Michael Lai
- Job: Early education director, elected to the San Francisco Democratic Party
- Age: 31
- Residency: Tenant, living in District 11 since February 2024
- Transportation: Public
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in government at Harvard College with coursework at Harvard Graduate School of Education
- Languages: English, Mandarin
I voted yes on Proposition E to increase police effectiveness, and gave speeches to support it in democratic clubs around the city.
Public safety is the No. 1 priority for District 11 residents. At a time when SFPD is short of about 486 officers (23% of sworn officers) and enforcement is down, officers need to do more with less while staying accountable. I heard from police officers that some beat cops spend 40% of their time on administrative paperwork, instead of doing their job, and they are unable to use technology that other Bay Area police departments allow to fight crime. This lowers officer … read more here
Endorsed by: Attorney General Rob Bonta, Senator Scott Wiener, Sheriff Paul Miyamoto, Supervisors Joel Engardio and Matt Dorsey, SF Democratic Party Nancy Tung… read more here
Roger Marenco
- Job: Transit operator
- Age: 42
- Residency: Tenant, living in District 11 since May 2014
- Transportation: Public
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in environmental sustainability and social justice from San Francisco State University. City College San Francisco
- Languages: English, Spanish
Yes on E, because police should have more rights than criminals.
My birthplace of El Salvador is the epitome of what happens when you treat criminals like criminals. El Salvador went from being the most dangerous country in the western hemisphere to the safest, because it started treating criminals like criminals.
The best element of Prop. E is that it gives police more tools to do their job.
The worst element of Prop. E is that it doesn’t restore all the tools necessary for the police to do their job. Let’s protect the police, so they can protect us from criminals.
Chyanne Chen
- Job: Worker organizer, community facilitator & educator
- Age: 39
- Residency: Homeowner, landlord, living in District 11 since August 2000
- Transportation: Walk, public transportation, rideshare, and car
- Education: Bachelor’s degree from University of California, Davis, master’s degree from Cornell University, doctoral degree in education in progress at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Languages: English, Mandarin, Cantonese
Public safety is one of my top priorities, but I had serious concerns that elements of Prop. E would not make us safer.
In particular, I worry that weakening the car-chase policy could lead to more accidents, and more fatal accidents. 41 percent of cases initiated between 2018 and 2021 resulted in collisions and a number of those caused injuries to innocent bystanders. The SFPD has also stated that we did not need to change our car-chase policy.
While I’m open to measures to reduce paperwork, all in all, the possibility of serious accidents and injuries in the … read more here
Endorsed by: Assemblymember Phil Ting, former police commissioner Larry Yee, San Francisco Board of Education commissioner Jenny Lam, former supervisors Norman Yee, Sandy Fewer and Mabel Teng.
District 11 contribution
Money raised and spent in the District 11 supervisor race
Money raised
Money spent
Ernest “E.J.” Jones
$34,342
$70,501
Chyanne Chen
$0
Adlah Chisti
$0
Roger Marenco
$0
$0
$50,000
$100,000
$150,000
$200,000
Money spent
Money raised
Ernest “E.J.” Jones
$70,501
$34,342
Chyanne Chen
$0
Adlah Chisti
$0
Roger Marenco
$0
$0
$50K
$100K
$150K
$200K
Source: San Francisco Ethics Commission, as of April 3, 2024. Chart by Junyao Yang.
Candidates are ordered alphabetically but rotated weekly. Answers may be lightly edited for formatting, spelling, and grammar. If you have questions for the candidates, please let us know at xueer@missionlocal.com.
Read the rest of the District 11 questions here, and the entire “Meet the Candidates” series here.
You can register to vote via the sf.gov website. Illustrations for the series by Neil Ballard.
