Welcome back to the “Meet the Candidates” series for District 11, where we ask each candidate to answer one question every week leading up to the election. They must answer the question in 100 words or fewer. We will link to longer answers.
With District 11 Supervisor Ahsha Safaí termed out and running for mayor, seven candidates have thrown their hats in the ring to represent the Excelsior, Oceanview and the Outer Mission.
In week 14, we are asking the six candidates: How do you get around the city on a daily basis?
Next week, I will be at Philz Coffee, 1110 Ocean Ave, Thursday, June 6, at 10 a.m. Drop by and share your thoughts! You can also reach me at xueer@missionlocal.com.
Chyanne Chen
- Job: Worker organizer, community facilitator and 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
I live within walking distance of Balboa Park BART Station.
I love walking and using public transit.
Most days, I walk to Balboa Park BART or take the 14 and the 29 buses to get around the city.
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.
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 transportation and biking are my go-to methods for reducing our carbon footprint and addressing climate change. I also grew up riding Muni, and still primarily use Muni to get around the city and everywhere else. As a single mother and caregiver, it can be difficult to do errands on a bike. In an ideal world, I would like to bike to my destinations while feeling safe. But right now, I believe SFMTA is not listening to us.
Biking with a child over longer distances is challenging due to the lack of an interconnected network of bike lanes. Additionally … 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 use public transit to and from work to reduce emissions from my vehicle.
I typically walk to the K or the M Muni lines to get to work downtown. I’m also a frequent BART rider, depending on what’s most convenient.
I do own and operate a vehicle, like many District 11 residents, but I try my best to take advantage of our public transit system and I tap my Clipper card frequently around San Francisco.
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 mostly take public transit, especially the 14R, 49, and 29 Muni buses, and BART from Balboa Station, to get around the city. I also bike and walk, and take the occasional Uber when I’m running late (though it really hurts the wallet … ).
While about 30 percent of District 11 residents take public transit to work, more than half use a car to get to work, especially our immigrant working families and elders, so it’s important to consider all modes of transit when we think about transportation in our district.
Endorsed by: Attorney General Rob Bonta, Senator Scott Wiener, Sheriff Paul Miyamoto, Supervisors Joel Engardio and Matt Dorsey, NorCal Carpenters Union. 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
I take the bus (Muni).
As a transit operator, I know first-hand that our public-transportation system needs to be fixed, the buses need to be cleaned, the roads need to be repaired and the service needs to be improved.
Wasteful expenditures hinder the system from being updated and from being more accessible to our riders such as the elderly, the disabled, and wheelchair users.
Once in office, we will bring back more service, cleaner buses, and a more reliable system. Let’s take the power away from MTA and put it in the hands of community leadership.
Jose Morales
- Job: Sales professional, small business owner
- Age: 28
- Residency: Tenant, born in District 11 in 1995 and has lived there since, except for time away in college from 2014 to 2017 and living in Idaho from 2021 to the end of 2022
- Transportation: Car
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in economics from Sonoma State University
- Languages: English, Spanish
On most days, I zip around on a gas scooter I snagged for a great price on Facebook Marketplace.
Sometimes, I opt for driving, while occasionally hopping on the bus.
But my absolute favorite way to navigate is biking. They say four wheels move the body, but two wheels move the soul. And truly, there’s no better way to soak in the city’s vibe than from the saddle of a bike.
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.
Pretty clear that one guy moved to the area just to run. SF politics is such an unfunny joke.