On the rainy afternoon of Saturday, April 13, some 200 people gathered in the Excelsior to support Michael Lai as he launched his campaign to run for District 11 supervisor.
In the Italian American Social Club’s crowded ballroom at Mission and Russia streets were enthusiastic neighbors from the Excelsior. They included Margarita, a Nicaraguan immigrant who said her family were some of the first Latinxs to buy a home in the neighborhood in 1968, and Jamie Patton, a Mission Terrace mom.
“Let’s get him elected,” several said with enthusiasm. The crowd cheered on.
With Supervisor Ahsha Safaí termed out this year and running for mayor, Lai, an early education nonprofit director, became the fifth candidate to vie for the position. Also in the race to represent the southern part of the city, which encompasses the Excelsior, Oceanview and Outer Mission: Adlah Chisti, a freelance public policy analyst and caregiver; Chyanne Chen, a community and worker organizer; Ernest “E.J.” Jones, a community advocate working part-time at a law firm near Union Square as an office manager; and Roger Marenco, a Muni operator.
John Avalos, who represented the district from 2008 to 2016, described the District 11 constituency as one that has voted progressively on issues like taxation, such as increasing the real estate transfer tax for higher valued property, or the gross receipts tax. But it can also be socially conservative, he said, noting the number of working-class families that are also foreign-born Asian and Latinx.
So far, in answering questions for Mission Local’s “Meet the Candidates series,” there have been few divides, but that could change with Lai’s entrance. And candidates may try to set themselves apart in the first forum, set for Wednesday, May 8 at 7 p.m. at the Italian American Social Club at 25 Russia Ave. It is organized by Advocates 11, a community group in District 11.
Although Lai is new to the neighborhood and politics, he appears to have a lot of support, judging from the launch event turnout. He is also coming off a big win in March as one of 18 candidates on the Democrats for Change slate that won seats on the Democratic County Central Committee. The slate — largely backed by tech-backed PACs such as GrowSF and Families For a Vibrant SF, which together provided some $2.2 million in funding — succeeded in overtaking the progressives on the DCCC.
The committee is important, because it has the power to select the candidates that will be endorsed by the Democratic Party. And it is likely to endorse Lai; its new chair, Nancy Tung, and past chair Mary Jung have already endorsed him.
Lai can expect similar financial support in his District 11 race, but it is unclear if the money and the DCCC support will be enough to overcome the advantages of other candidates. For one, he is not the only Asian candidate in a district that is 56 percent Asian. Avalos said he believes Lai and Chen are likely to split the district’s Chinese votes. The district is one of the most diverse in the city, with Latino residents accounting for 21 percent of its population, Blacks 5.4 percent, and Whites 6 percent.
Moreover, there is the residency issue.
Lai, who moved into the Excelsior in February, has only been living in the district for three months. His competitors have decades on him: Chisti, 40 years old, and Jones, 38 years old, are born-and-raised District 11 natives. Chen, 39 years old, arrived in the district when she was 15 after immigrating to the United States from China with her parents and older brother. Twenty-four years later, she still lives in the district. Marenco used to live on Shotwell Street in the Mission, and moved to District 11 in May 2014.
“I don’t know why Michael Lai would be running for a district that he hasn’t lived in, and hasn’t had a record in, and hasn’t done any work in,” said Avalos, who has yet to endorse anyone. He called locals like Chen, Chisti and Jones “more viable.”
Avalos will have less of a say on who the Democratic Party endorses. He was on the opposing slate for a seat on the DCCC that makes the endorsements. While he won one of the 14 spots, he came in eighth — 293 votes short of Lai, who came in seventh place. More importantly, Lai’s slate won 18 of the 24 positions, giving progressives less sway on the committee.
Safaí, who has been representing the district for two consecutive terms, from 2016 till now, agreed with Avalos, despite the longtime rivalry between the two — they ran against each other both in 2008 and 2020.
“It’s insulting to neighbors and community members to run after you’ve only lived somewhere for a few months,” he said.
Safaí, who is running for mayor this year, has endorsed Jones, his legislative aide from January 2021 to November 2022, saying he is more grounded and connected to the community.
When asked what his weakness is, Lai paused for a long moment, then said he was not born and raised in the district. But he was quick to downplay its importance.
“If the most important thing is to elect people who have lived in the district the longest, they should elect Ethel, who was born and raised and lived here for 91 years,” Lai said jokingly, adding that what the district needs is new and competent leadership.
“My goal is to deliver,” Lai said. “There are too many career politicians and insiders, but a lot of them are not able to deliver results.”
All five District 11 candidates say they are running a ground campaign, knocking on doors, putting up flyers in the windows, and talking to and getting to know the constituents.
Institutional support
Lai’s institutional support was on display at his launch. Sen. Scott Wiener, whom Lai calls a mentor, was there, as were Supervisors Matt Dorsey and Joel Engardio. Nancy Tung, DCCC’s new chair, spoke, as did Attorney General Rob Bonta.
But other candidates have claimed, or will be able to claim, big endorsements as well; Jones is already backed by Supervisors Shamann Walton and Myrna Melgar, Assemblymember Matt Haney, former mayor Willie Brown Jr., Transit Workers Union Local 250A, and so on.
Chen said so far she has been 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.
Chisti and Marenco have yet to disclose their endorsers.
Big issues, popularity contest
None of the District 11 candidates have ever held office, but all have engaged in politics and community work in different ways.
Chisti has long been working in political campaigns, including a stint as the campaign manager for Supervisor Mynar Melgar’s winning campaign for District 7 supervisor in 2020, and as the senior policy and legislative assistant and deputy campaign manager for now-vice president Kamala Harris’ campaign for the U.S. Senate in 2016.
Jones was a legislative aide to Safaí for about two years, from the beginning of 2021 to the end of 2022. Marenco interned at the office of former District 9 supervisor Tom Ammiano, and was previously president of the San Francisco branch of the Transport Workers Union for about four years — until 2022, when he was removed from office and banned for three years for using racially derogatory language at work.
Chen has long been a community and labor organizer active in parts of the city like District 11 and Chinatown. Lai was a preschool volunteer at one of the locations of Wu Yee Head Start Center in the Tenderloin in 2017, and serves on the board of the center, which opened a location at 1820 Alemany Blvd. in the Excelsior.
So far, their positions on key local issues appear similar: Public safety, quality education, affordable childcare and housing and improved public transportation. Small business support and business revitalization of the Mission and Ocean corridors are the keys to boosting the local economy.
Citywide issues also matter to the district, such as the fentanyl and drug overdose crisis, downtown and tourism revitalization, and clean streets.
Avalos thinks it is “weird” that at this stage in the race, with the election about six months away, all of the policy statements or platforms are still very much “unformed.”
“I think we’re going to start seeing [candidates] starting to diversify into their policy positions,” he added. Unless, he said, it is a popularity contest, meaning constituents vote for which candidate they like better, rather than which is more qualified for the job.
Campaign finance
While there are a lot more factors at play than just money, funds raised are likely to have an effect on how big of a campaign a candidate can run, including sending out mail, organizing events, and having paid advertisements for name recognition.
According to the San Francisco Ethics Commission’s website, only one District 11 candidate, Jones, reported what he’d raised so far: $70,501 as of April 3. He also reported that he has spent about half of his funds. The next round of disclosure will be published in July.
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.
Lai, who raised the third-highest amount of money among the 51 candidates across the two Assembly Districts during March’s DCCC race — a total of $225,960 — was again quick to raise money for his supervisor race campaign.
Lai filed for District 11 candidacy on April 8, launched his campaign on April 13, and said that by April 22, he had reached the San Francisco Ethics Commission’s public financing program threshold of $10,000 from at least 100 San Franciscans. That program administered by the ethics commission for non-incumbent supervisor candidates, like all the candidates in District 11, to receive up to $255,000 in public funds for their campaigns.
For other candidates, the fundraising has been a different journey.
“It’s been humbling,” Jones said of his experience so far. He recalled that an elderly person gave him $20 that they were going to use to buy See’s candy for their grandkid, but instead gave the money to him.
Chen feels similarly. She said it’s been hard to raise money in a district with a lot of working-class families, and that a lot of times people offered themselves as volunteers instead saying they could knock on doors, collect signatures, and make calls. Some seniors and their nurses gave about $50 to $100 each, and tech workers gave more, about $500.
Chisti, who didn’t disclose how much money she has raised, called her own campaign “grassroots,” and said she has spent her funds on flyers and window signs in English, Spanish and Chinese.
Marenco, who is the only District 11 candidate that said he won’t launch a website for himself, said he has not been able to raise any campaign funds.
In the same week that Lai filed for his candidacy on April 8, District 11 also had two other candidates filing, Oscar Flores and Jose Morales.
We need supervisors who think crime is bad and police are necessary.
It’s a sign of how bad politics in San Francisco have become that neither of those is a given.
I agree Arnie. Safe, clean streets is my #1 priority.
I voted to recall the district attorney in 2022, and support fully staffing a police department that is down 23% on sworn officers, arresting fentanyl dealers, and cracking down on retail theft that is hurting our small businesses & downtown. Just yesterday I had boba at Lucky Cafe on Ocean Ave and was sad & shocked Jessie’s window had been broken yet again.
I also think SPPD must be efficient & accountable, and we need different solutions to severe mental health crises, unsheltered homeless, and drug addicts, but restoring police staffing levels to baseline is a must. My platform here: http://www.votemichaellai.com
It’s pretty disgusting to move to a neighborhood solely to win elected office. It means you don’t care about your constituents, just personal power. The excelsior deserves better
The other candidates have already been out here getting to know people.
Being from the area is really important to my neighbors — it is something we talk about a lot.
I just wish Citizen’s United never existed. This money being poured into elections nationwide, and now locally, could be put to much better use.
Hey Tom & Oceanview Mama, this is Michael Lai. You haven’t met me yet, and I understand why you would be initially skeptical. Here’s a bit about me & why I’m running:
I’ve lived in SF for 10 years as a renter, and in the last 5 years several friends have moved to Mission Terrace & the Excelsior because it’s an amazing place to raise a family. I was looking for a place to settle down, and I absolutely love it here in the Excelsior.
In the Excelsior I see my family’s story — first generation Asian immigrants who came with $100 in their pockets. My mom bused tables at a Chinese restaurant. I see myself, a public school kid, going to the public library after school and playing sports at the local park. I see a district that has incredible diversity & community but often gets forgotten.
When I ran & won a seat on the SF DCCC this March as a first time candidate, I knocked on hundreds of doors in the Excelsior and kept hearing people wanted change — why has Persia Triangle been sitting there and not a park since 2019? Why are shops getting broken into on Ocean Ave? Why is Cayuga one of the last slow streets in the city to get speed cushions? Why are restaurants on Mission St getting less business while their PG&E bills go up? Why does Balboa pool have such limited hours?
I’m running to bring competent new leadership to these problems. I spent the past 5 years running a network of 30+ early childhood schools that provide housing for teachers and I want to take my energy & dedication to fight for this district, at the same time that I tackle city wide issues like staffing up the police department & shutting down open air drug markets.
I’m proud that long-time community members have endorsed me, like my friend Margarita who has lived there since 1968, and Laura at New Royal Bakery who has run the bakery for 30 years.
Here’s more about me: http://www.votemichaellai.com. I’d love to grab coffee and hear your story & concerns: michael@votemichaellai.com
I wish you would not use this comment space as an advertisement for yourself.
Being part of the “moderate” slate with the same folks who have so many questionable ethical practices and are essentially trying to buy votes by flooding your campaign with money are not going to win you much respect around here — well, maybe with the newer folks who are more like you in social status.
The questions you bring up (eg. Persian Triangle, Balboa Pool, etc) emphasize how little you know about the district. You should already know the answers to those questions. The Persian Triangle is not a park because it is owned by someone who doesn’t want to sell. The limited hours of Balboa Park Pool are due to a bigger, city wide problem that stems from a limited budget and a nationwide lack of lifeguards. We need a supervisor who comes to the job with a basic knowledge of these issues. You seem like a great guy, but maybe you should wait 4 or 8 years to run. As it stands, you give the impression that you are using us as a stepping stone for something else.
I’m voting for Jones. He’s young, he’s lived in D11 for decades, and he worked for Safai, who was hella better than Avalos. Sick of these carpetbaggers.
I’m always suspicious when candidates say vague things like “My goal is to deliver” because the main questions in my mind are: To deliver what, and for whom? For all the criticism I see of supervisors, the problems I see listed seem to be in the mayor’s purview. The Board of Supervisors is the legislative branch of the City and County of San Francisco. Is the issue that we don’t have enough legislation, or that the government is not functioning? The Mayor leads the executive branch of the San Francisco City and County government. The Mayor has the authority to enforce city laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills. Maybe Lai should run for mayor.
Lai is connected to the machine that is buying their way into City Hall. All of the other candidates know the community and are actually embedded in some way. He is not. He consistently uses generalized talking points that you could copy/paste for any candidate running for an office or district. D11 is UNIQUE. He shows he has the support of the machine, the dollars to position himself but truly lacks the context and knowledge necessary to truly support the district. We seriously need to get money out of politics and let real, experienced candidates run. It’s disgusting.
I think anyone running for D11 should start looking to younger residents under the age of 50, to see what they want for their community. As someone who has lots of family in D11, I’m well aware that the OMI has a dozen community groups/nonprofits that are petty, politically-connected, and have a long history of backbiting against each other for personal gain/favors. They are old/elderly and hungry for power/control, and the district suffers because they’d rather have photo-ops with Supervisor Safai, than actually move the community forward with new ideas/solutions. Any candidates should be mindful of this, so that they don’t get stuck pandering to geriatric groupies looking to protect their own power over the best interests of the community.