There’s District 9 supervisor candidate Roberto Hernandez, who was born in the Mission in 1956 and never left. And then there’s Michael Lai, who moved to District 11 in February and is running for supervisor this November.
Does it matter for the election?
Political analysts and campaign managers say probably not, unless you are running in a district where voters prize a long residency.
Jason McDaniel, associate professor of political science at San Francisco State University, said that residency is less important in a place like San Francisco, where “a lot of people in San Francisco just moved to San Francisco.”
Bruce Cain, professor of political science at Stanford University, agreed. “Because it’s California, people rarely are born and stay in the same place,” Cain said. “It matters not as much as you would find in the East Coast, where it’s more stable.”
Especially in downtown neighborhoods, where people move in and out more frequently than others, short residency may not be as big of a deal, Cain said. “You may have a chance after a few years, putting your signs up everywhere.”
To run for district supervisor in San Francisco, a candidate only needs to reside and register to vote in their district for at least 30 days before filing the declaration of candidacy, according to the Department of Elections.
The 11 supervisors now in office had lived in their districts anywhere from 23 years (Dean Preston) to a little over a year (Hillary Ronen) when they won their first election. While she was well-known in District 9 as Supervisor David Campos’ legislative aide, Ronen only moved to the Portola in 2015. She won her 2016 election with more than 57 percent of the vote.
This year’s batch of supervisor candidates in San Francisco have resided in their district for as long as 68 years and as short as three months. The median length of residency is 10 years.
District 3 candidate Sharon Lai, for example, moved to her district only a year ago, although she says she first moved to San Francisco in 2005. In District 5, all three challengers against the incumbent, Preston, have lived in the district for less than four years. The newest face on the block there is Bilal Mahmood, who moved to the district in May 2023 after living adjacent to it for two years.
Lai, the District 11 candidate, moved to the Excelsior in February of this year, the most recent of all. While admitting that not having been “born and raised in the district” was his main weakness, Lai, like Mahmood, emphasized his goal to deliver.
“There are too many career politicians and insiders, but a lot of them are not able to deliver results,” Lai said in an earlier interview with Mission Local.
Backed by more than $225,000 from groups like GrowSF and Families for a Vibrant SF, Lai won a seat on the Democratic County Central Committee, San Francisco’s local party chapter, in March, and will likely receive similar financial support in the November supervisors’ race.
Both current supervisor Ahsha Safaí and his long-time opponent, former supervisor John Avalos, are critical of Lai joining the race without doing much work in the district.
“It’s insulting to neighbors and community members to run after you’ve only lived somewhere for a few months,” said Safaí.
How long has each supervisor candidate lived in their district?
District 1
1970
1980
2000
2010
2020
2024
1990
Sherman D’Silva
Marjan Philhour
Jeremiah Boehner
Connie Chan
Jen Nossokoff
District 3
2000
2010
2020
2024
Moe Jamil
Danny Sauter
Navarro and Ortega moved to D3
in December 2021
Matthew Susk
Eduard Navarro
JConr B. Ortega
Sharon Lai
moved to D3 in May 2023
Sharon Lai
District 5
1990
2000
2010
2020
2024
Dean Preston
Autumn Looijen
Allen Jones
Bilal Mahmood
moved to D5 in May 2023
Bilal Mahmood
District 7
1980
1990
2000
2010
2020
2024
Stephen Martin-Pinto
Myrna Melgar
Matthew Boschetto
District 9
1956
1990
2000
2010
2020
2024
Roberto Hernandez
Jamie Gutierrez
Michael Petrelis
Julian Bermudez
Stephen Torres
h Brown
Fielder moved in and out of D9 from 2017 to 2020,
and most recently moved back in April 2021.
Jackie Fielder
Trevor Chandler
Chandler moved to D9 in July 2021
District 11
1980
1990
2000
2010
2020
2024
Adlah Chisti
Ernest “E.J.” Jones
Chyanne Chen
Roger Marenco
Michael Lai
moved to D11 in February 2024
Michael Lai
District 1
1970
’80
’90
2000
’10
’20
’24
Sherman
D’Silva
Marjan
Philhour
Jeremiah
Boehner
Connie
Chan
Jen
Nossokoff
District 3
2000
’10
’20
’24
Moe
Jamil
Danny
Sauter
Matthew
Susk
Eduard
Navarro
JConr B.
Ortega
Sharon Lai
moved to D3 in May 2023
Sharon
Lai
District 5
2000
’10
’20
’24
1990
Dean
Preston
Autumn
Looijen
Allen
Jones
Bilal Mahmood
moved to D5 in May 2023
Bilal
Mahmood
District 7
1980
’90
2000
’10
’20
’24
Stephen
Martin-
Pinto
Myrna
Melgar
Matthew
Boschetto
District 9
1956
1990
2000
’10
’20
’24
Roberto
Hernandez
Jamie
Gutierrez
Michael
Petrelis
Julian
Bermudez
Stephen
Torres
Fielder most recently
moved back to D9
in April 2021
h Brown
Jackie
Fielder
Trevor
Chandler
Chandler moved to D9
in July 2021
District 11
1980
’90
2000
’10
’20
’24
Adlah
Chisti
Ernest
“E.J.”
Jones
Chyanne
Chen
Roger
Marenco
Michael Lai moved to D11
in February 2024
Michael
Lai
Chart by Junyao Yang.
Randy Knox, a District 11 supervisor candidate in 2008 and a 35-year resident in the district, said he wishes that residency history mattered, but thinks that voters’ lack of engagement nowadays makes it difficult.
“I’d like to think it is [important,] but I don’t think it is. I don’t think people are that invested in local politics, as much as they used to be,” Knox said. “The races center around PACs and 501(c)(3)s. And people feel like, ‘What’s the point of voting? It’s gonna be decided anyway by money.’”
That money can help make up for years in the district, but only to an extent in a local election, said Cain, the Stanford professor.
“Sometimes it works, but a lot of times it doesn’t,” Cain said. “When you get down to the local government level, you are not as dependent on TV ads, you have to just go to meetings with people.”
That is, knocking on doors, meeting people at community meetings, and “displaying a personality.”
That was the approach Jessica Ho took. Ho, the moderate standard-bearer in the District 4 supervisor race in 2018, moved to the city in March that same year and worked as the legislative aide to then-Supervisor Katy Tang.
But, despite receiving a decent amount of endorsements and campaign contributions, she lost the race to Gordon Mar — even though Mar was far more left-leaning than the district he represented. Mar had been living in the district since 2005.
Her plan at the time, Ho said, was to “show the work” by going to community meetings, answering questions and showing up when people needed her to, which proved not to be enough: After ranked-choice voting was tabulated, Ho received 43 percent of the votes, while Mar won with 57 percent.
In retrospect, Ho says that her newness in District 4, and the city for that matter, was one of her major weaknesses. “I think all voters in San Francisco deserve to trust their supervisor,” Ho said. “I don’t think there’s a time limit to prove it, but it comes with experience and relationships and time.”
“The duty is to be a public servant, to learn your constituents, to know their issues, just like your family members,’” Ho added.
Edward Wright, the campaign manager for Gordon Mar in the 2018 race, said the importance of long-term residence differs from district to district. “The neighborhood that feels less represented feels, more strongly, a sense of protection. How can you authentically and genuinely represent a place, a community you’ve never spent time with?”
McDaniel added that a short residency history may only matter to voters who do not intend to support that candidate in the first place. It was “other signals of community” that matter more in a district election, he said, such as home ownership and racial identity.
“It’s about how committed you are to the neighborhood,” Wright said. “You’ll be making decisions with long-term impact. People want to know you are a stakeholder yourself.”
At the end of the day, even if the voters might not care when a candidate moves in, not knowing the neighborhood just makes it harder to run, Wright added.
“People want to have a voice in City Hall. Issues at top of mind for people in the Sunset are different from those top-of-mind in the Excelsior or in the Mission,” he said. “There are big-picture themes, like public safety and homelessness, but also neighborhood-specific stuff you gotta have a handle on.”
District lines are arbitrary. If you move from one side of Valencia to the other, suddenly you’ve switched districts.
Voters are a less concerned with your home address and more concerned with your involvement/lack thereof in the community. If you’re someone who shows up to stuff regularly, people remember that.
JBS,
Did you mean me ?
I pulled papers to run against Rafael Mandelman in D-8 and told him I was going to beat him when we ran into one another at the Milk Club’s Cafe.
Next thing you know it, I’m living in D-9 w/out moving ?
Go Niners !
h.
Not aimed at you specifically. I just meant in-general.
Scott,
Hmmm, Trevor Chandler seems to be checking off boxes on the same Moderate Play List too.
And, doubling down on it by continuing to claim he’s an SFUSD School Teacher.
Hey, visiting the Eiffel Tower doesn’t make you French.
Met Trevor and his hubby, Adrian at Manny’s when he presented and they’re nice people but it really does look like the Mods are checking off boxes.
Looijen’s hubby announced that he too is Gay or maybe ‘Bi’ when she was campaigning in the School Board Recall checking another box.
I’d imagine the 3 (Autumn and Trevor and Bilal) will soon be taking a ride on a Fire Truck (nope, unless our Fire Chief – also Gay and Female which checks off two boxes – is nuts) and taking a ride with Debra Walker in a Cop car late at night in the Tenderloin.
In my World of Retired Vets (check two boxes) and former Slum School teacher (two boxes) we call that practice ‘Stolen Glory’ and you can do Prison Time if you pretend you were in my old Navy Unit (Naval Special Warfare Group BJU 2).
Ahhh, that phrase fits well here …
‘Stolen Glory’.
None of these people are what they claim to be but what are they really ?
Chandler spent the last decade working for AIPAC which is basically an Outreach for Mossad.
I dug deep as my feeble brain was able on Looijen and she seems to be part of some complicated Consultancy Group working on Programs that bend Public Opinion which makes her the Atom bomb teamed with Pop Guns.
Sit this Folder of Facts next to my File on the Mayor and the Reverend Arnold Townsend’s Redistricting Dr. Frankenstein work and you get an Extrememly Successful Campaign by a small (think Poker game) cabal of Billionaires moving a chosen cadre of candidates with their Resumes massaged to appeal to the Local electorate …
As we used to scream when a team from the City’s rich hoods (in St. Louis) showed up at a Playoff softball game for 13 year-olds with a pitcher who was over six feet and a beard who could throw a softball underhand at 100 mph …
They’re RINGERS !!!
So far the skillful adjustment of Supe Voting Districts has netted them 2 seats.
D-6 where Chris Daly wouldn’t stand a chance these days.
And, D-7 lost its Chinese heart and seated a White Mod.
Yep, shaving a block here and a block there or a small block of precinct blocks has magically given us a BOS poised to have a moderate Super-Majority.
Next it line we get to see if Connie Chan can get votes from Sea Cliff millionaires.
We’ve come a long way from the ‘Class of 2000′.
Me ?
Let me cadge a Dylan line …
“I just sittin’ on the pavemunt lookin’ at the guvmint.”
Go Niners !!
There is so much wrong with your rambling comment, but it’s not worth arguing. Good luck getting more than 100 votes.
Mike,
Name one thing I said that’s wrong.
One
h.
Bilal sure thinks it matters, so he’s pretending (=lying) all the way:
He moved to D5 one year ago. Prior to then, in his ridiculous phrase, he “lived adjacent” to D5 (for all of two years).
But he didn’t just move to D5. He decided to “slum it” and “become” a renter in the Tenderloin. Because that makes him a brave hero or something. Of course, since Bilal’s family is profoundly wealthy, he didn’t move into an SRO with a broken elevator. No, he inserted himself into the gentrification project of 50 Jones Street. If you don’t believe Bilal’s family is rich (or will give this a thumbs down because I mention it), consider that someone named M Bilal Mahmood (daddy much?) gave $600,000 to try to get him elected to the state assembly.
People have money, and people move. Okay, but Bilal is playing a game, and along the way is exploiting the neighborhood. Three weeks ago, he read a book to fifth graders at Tenderloin Community School. Not grasping that that kind of work is done to benefit the kids who go to school there rather than the reader him/herself, Bilal brought two campaign staff to what he thought was a campaign event.
According to the teacher, his staff made a video recording of the reading (a violation of California Education Code, Section 51512). Bilal (and his campaign) were so proud of that hard work, that he used multiple social media accounts to “share” what he had done. He thought “Team Bilal” was appropriate to include in the accompanying text. It was not.
A few days after that, his official campaign email list subscribers received an official campaign announcement about his visit to the school.
Bilal also contacted the school to find out how he could get a “colleague” invited. He doesn’t have a job, so “colleague” seems weird. When the “colleague” contacted the school, it became clear he meant “opponent” in the D5 supervisor campaign.
On Tuesday, April 30, Autumn Looijen contacted the school to invite herself to the next reading so she too could use TCS students as a campaign prop.
In an email, Looien wrote:
Hello!
I saw that Bilal came and read a story to a TL class.
I am also running for D5 supervisor, and would love to come by and meet everyone and read to class. Could you help me set that up?
Thanks!!
Autumn
Looijen’s email is an explicit attempt to arrange a campaign event at a public elementary school site. It appears she was not too certain where she might be campaigning: the non-specific “a TL class” betrays her ignorance of where should would even be going. But “TL” is a good thing to have on your resume.
Bilal and Autumn owe the community, and in particular the school, an explicit apology for their obnoxiousness.
And contrast how Dean Preston used the same room of the school: by hosting a well-attended “tenants bootcamp” for renters of D5, listening to their concerns, and offering expert advice based on his experience as a tenant lawyer.
The district makes money when thetvt not out parte of schools for public events. The DCCC used to meet at TCS because the WiFi in the basement of the state building was so bad that elected officials couldn’t tweet and surt the net during meetings.
And I would very much doubt Preston “used the room.”. The chairs would be too small and the place would simply be too crowded.
Also, a supervisor offering a public service to constituents at an event open to the public is rather different from trying to look cool by reading to students as a campaign stunt.
Since the boot camps provide a service to tenants, Bilal can go and learn what actual tenants need to know to keep themselves housed.
Scott,
Hmmm, Trevor Chandler seems to be checking off boxes on the same Moderate Play List too.
And, doubling down on it by continuing to claim he’s an SFUSD School Teacher.
Hey, visiting the Eiffel Tower doesn’t make you French.
Met Trevor and his hubby, Adrian at Manny’s when he presented and they’re nice people but it really does look like the Mods are checking off boxes.
Looijen’s hubby announced that he too is Gay or maybe ‘Bi’ when she was campaigning in the School Board Recall checking another box.
I’d imagine the 3 (Autumn and Trevor and Bilal) will soon be taking a ride on a Fire Truck (nope, unless our Fire Chief – also Gay and Female which checks off two boxes – is nuts) and taking a ride with Debra Walker in a Cop car late at night in the Tenderloin.
In my World of Retired Vets (check two boxes) and former Slum School teacher (two boxes) we call that practice ‘Stolen Glory’ and you can do Prison Time if you pretend you were in my old Navy Unit (Naval Special Warfare Group BJU 2).
Ahhh, that phrase fits well here …
‘Stolen Glory’.
None of these people are what they claim to be but what are they really ?
Chandler spent the last decade working for AIPAC which is basically an Outreach for Mossad.
I dug deep as my feeble brain was able on Looijen and she seems to be part of some complicated Consultancy Group working on Programs that bend Public Opinion which makes her the Atom bomb teamed with Pop Guns.
Sit this Folder of Facts next to my File on the Mayor and the Reverend Arnold Townsend’s Redistricting Dr. Frankenstein work and you get an Extrememly Successful Campaign by a small (think Poker game) cabal of Billionaires moving a chosen cadre of candidates with their Resumes massaged to appeal to the Local electorate …
As we used to scream when a team from the City’s rich hoods (in St. Louis) showed up at a Playoff softball game for 13 year-olds with a pitcher who was over six feet and a beard who could throw a softball underhand at 100 mph …
They’re RINGERS !!!
So far the skillful adjustment of Supe Voting Districts has netted them 2 seats.
D-6 where Chris Daly wouldn’t stand a chance these days.
And, D-7 lost its Chinese heart and seated a White Mod.
Yep, shaving a block here and a block there or a small block of precinct blocks has magically given us a BOS poised to have a moderate Super-Majority.
Next it line we get to see if Connie Chan can get votes from Sea Cliff millionaires.
We’ve come a long way from the ‘Class of 2000′.
Me ?
Let me cadge a Dylan line …
“I just sittin’ on the pavemunt lookin’ at the guvmint.”
Go Niners !!
Reading about the supervisor candidates in San Francisco who haven’t lived long in their districts really got me thinking. It’s interesting to consider whether having deep roots in an area is crucial for representing it well. Sometimes, fresh eyes might bring new solutions, right? But then again, long-time residents have a feel for their community’s enduring issues. It’s a tricky balance to strike! What do you think matters more in local elections—new perspectives or established connections?
I think there can be a healthy balance between fresh eyes improving a neighborhood and an opportunist with no ties to a neighborhood deliberately moving to a district without an incumbent and seeking political power.
It’s really interesting to see how the issue of residency is playing out in the San Francisco supervisor races. The idea that some candidates haven’t been in their districts very long challenges traditional notions about who is best equipped to represent a community. It makes you wonder if fresh perspectives might sometimes be just as valuable as deep roots, especially in such a dynamic city.
The other side of that argument, of course, is how invested a candidate can be in the community in such a short time. There’s a whole lot to long-standing ties, personally knowing your neighbors and merchants, a proven track record of going to bat for constituents, and a deep and caring understanding of the problems of the district.
We’ve come a long way from Harvey Milk’s famous “I’m from Woodmere NY” sign.
The more complex the cultural population of a district, the more candidate residency matters. Recall that during the recent and controversial redistricting (gerrymandering) of San Francisco’s voting precincts and 11 districts, the primary concern of the public (as voiced at each of the many public hearings) had to do with preservation of existing historic cultural groups and distinct neighborhoods (think the Fillmore, the Mission, Potrero, chinatown, North Beach, Japantown, the Haight Ashbury, for example). Many of these neighborhoods have historically been (and continue to be) under represented at City Hall by the ultimate genralist: our mayor. Neighborhoods with high percentages of renters or homeowners vote differently and historic voting data underscores this and reveals which neighborhoods are the most conservative and which are more progressive. Some of the current newby candidates think that voters will go for new and shiny platitudes and slogans like “It’s time for results” or they shoot their mouths off about important and thorny issues that residents are grappling (grocery store closures, navigation centers for unhoused people, public parks, small businesses, community policing). Ignore the voices of residents and community members at your peril candidates. Hold town halls and and community events and talk to residents and community members. We know our districts better than any newby ever will. Be humble. Be a good listener. Otherwise why run for elected office to represent a specific district?
I don’t see why this should matter. Potrero Hill and the Sunset have slightly different issues — very slightly — but the main issues affecting both are San Francisco issues.
I would look askance at a candidate who just moved here from another state in the last couple years. But across town? Come on, let’s not be THAT parochial.
Its really strange Micheal Lai cherry picked a neighborhood he has no connection with to advance his personal political agenda.
I know Micheal reads ML comment sections. Please be honest, did moving to District 11 have anything to do with running for office or was it just a happy coincidence you moved months before an election and decided to run. Just tell the truth
I can be okay with a short term residency in a district if a candidate is showing true interest in serving that district. Hillary Ronen moved a shot time before her election, but she also served with David Campos, and I think she is serving my district well. However, if a candidate is simply moving to a district because they think they have a best chance of beating out longer term candidates, I’m not happy. I want a choice of candidates that know and support my Mission District Community
It matters to the long-term locals citywide, but often they don’t even show up to vote. In certain districts, specific political clubs are the golden ticket to get an endorsement and eventual seat in City Hall (Bernal Heights Democratic Club is a great example of this). Money talks, as does having the right millionaire/billionaire in your corner. For November 2024, all the candidates are backed by dark money except Peskin. Vote wisely, y’all.
If candidates simply move to the district where they feel they have a good chance of being elected, we may as well return to at-large elections. While they may feel they know the city, living in the district for a couple of years is barely enough time to meet the neighbors, let alone the neighborhood.
I’m not sure what benefits supervisor elections by district, instead of at-large, have brought the city. This would be an interesting topic for a media organization to look into.
Well……..it really matters. The connection and engagement with elected district supervisors and their resident constituents is EVERYTHING. mahmood, Chandler, Nancy Tung, Ron Conway, billionaires michael Moritz and toxic cray cray Garry “die slow” Tan fund the newby ideologues. They seek to control our power, our voice and San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors. Don’t let them.
Great article. Thank you Junyao Yang and Mission Local. A hot topic of coversation.
As an engaged San Franciscan and an informed voter, I don’t want carpet bagger ideologues like Looijen and Mahmood speaking for me. When the public and community are engaged and work with their district supervisor, constructive things happen. Like the new 100% 160 affordable (to low income seniors and families and TAY) @ 730 Stanyan. Like the Freeway Revolt in the Panhandle. Like the neighborhood supported Safe Sleeping Site in the Haight Ashbury during the COVID shutdown of all congregate shelters for unhoused folks. Like the rent strike by 130 families living at Midtown. Like the reinstitution of MUNI lines post pandemic when Jeff Tumlin @ SFMTA told us we didn’t have the funding for neighborhood serving bus lines. Like Slow Streets. Also: it’s really gross that Los Altos Looijen lists her “ job” in her ML bio as “cofounder of the School Board Recall.” Was she paid by billionaires and Glenn Beck to be the salaried spokesperson for a recall? How exactly does that qualify or prepare her to serve in elected office as a legislator and policy making servant? Governing by recall is expensive and wasteful. Sure 3 of the SFUSd Board and the former DA were recalled. The problems remain. What has improved?
Loojen worked very hard to remove SFUSD commissioners whose priorities were with the re-naming of 40 schools and destruction of the Washington High School Mural. At that time SFUSD was $70 millions in debt (and increasing) and even it you agree with destroying the mural, funds and effort would have been better used with tutoring academics and enrichment programs. Average score of children in some of our schools were 80th% below grade average. The commissioners made no attempt to return algebra as an option for 8th graders. The “ban on 8th grade algebra” harmed the children interested in STEM that were mostly from lower economic families. More affluent and formally educated families were better able to do work-arounds. Loojen is not in my district but I would certainly support her if she were. Although she has not lived her for years, she is amazingly hard working and committed to families in SF.