Here’s the latest in our “Meet the Candidates” series for District 5, in which we ask each candidate to answer one question per week leading up to the election. Four candidates are challenging incumbent Supervisor Dean Preston to represent District 5, which spans from the east end of Golden Gate Park through Haight-Ashbury, Japantown and the Western Addition, the Lower Haight and Hayes Valley, and most of the Tenderloin.
This week, we asked District 5 candidates about another election coming up: The one for district attorney. After a heated recall of DA Chesa Boudin in 2022 and his replacement by his former employee, now-DA Brooke Jenkins, another former employee, Ryan Khojasteh, has stepped up to challenge Jenkins.
Some favor Jenkins, while others like Khojasteh. But for all the talk of different public safety approaches to crime this election cycle, a couple District 5 candidates refused to make a choice.
Who do you support for District Attorney and why?
Note: I will be at Patricia’s Green (50 Fell St.) at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, August 28. Come say hi and share your thoughts about the election or District 5.
Dean Preston
- Job: Incumbent, tenant attorney
- Age: 54
- Residency: Homeowner, in District 5 since 1996
- Transportation: Public transit
- Education: Bachelor’s degree from Bowdoin College, juris doctor degree from University of California Law, San Francisco
- Languages: English
I have endorsed Ryan Khojasteh for district attorney. Over the past two years, I have been concerned with the hyper-partisanship of the current district attorney, the over-charging of peaceful protestors, and other highly problematic decisions of the cityโs top prosecutor.
I believe Ryan would lead the District Attorneyโs office with integrity, professionalism, and a spirit of collaboration. I also appreciate that Ryan is deeply committed to implementing policies that will address recidivism and prioritize violence prevention, which will help make us safer.
Endorsed by: Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Public Defender Mano Raju, United Educators of San Francisco, San Francisco Labor Council, San Francisco Tenants Union, National Union of Healthcare Workers … read more.
Scotty Jacobs
- Job: Marketing
- Age: 30
- Residency: Tenant in District 5 since November 2022, homeowner
- Transportation: Public bicycle
- Education: Bachelor’s degree from Washington University
- Languages: English
I support Brooke Jenkins for District Attorney. The City is still unwinding from the damage caused by Ryan Khojastehโs disastrous former boss, Chesa Boudin.
We cannot regress; we need a DA that will fully enforce the law. Since July of 2022, since Jenkins took office, she has filed charges in more than 1,700 of the roughly 1,900 felony narcotics cases that have come before her. We must fully use the judicial system to combat open-air drug markets, hold drug dealers accountable, and prosecute crime. I look forward to supporting Brooke Jenkins in her re-election bid this November.
*Note: Chesa Boudin was both Brooke Jenkins’ and Ryan Khojasteh’s boss.
Endorsed by: Mark Farrell, Alice B. Toklas Democratic Club.
Allen Jones
- Job: Activist
- Age: 67
- Residency: Tenant in District 5 since November 2021
- Transportation: Wheelchair
- Education: Teaching Bible studies at juvenile hall
- Languages: English
I do not support either candidate.
Ryan Khojasteh’s criticism of current conditions is easy. However, I do not support his proposed approach to deal with criminal activity.
My criticism of Brooke Jenkins is simple: We dumped Chesa Boudin for this?
Autumn Looijen
- Job: School board recall co-founder
- Age: 46
- Residency: Tenant in District 5 since December 2020, landowner
- Transportation: Public transit
- Education: Bachelor’s degree from California Institute of Technology
- Languages: English
I support Brooke Jenkins.
Our No. 1 problem in District 5 is the open drug markets in the Tenderloin. As we work to get drug dealers off the street and drug users into treatment, I trust her to have a tough but fair approach.
Endorsed by: San Francisco police union, Marina Times, Chinese American Democratic Club.
Bilal Mahmood
- Job: Founder of private and philanthropic organizations
- Age: 37
- Residency: Tenant in District 5 since May 2023
- Transportation: Walking
- Education: Bachelor’s degree from Stanford University, master’s degree from University of Cambridge
- Languages: English, Urdu
I will personally be abstaining from the District Attorneyโs race.
I have, however, appreciated the recent progress made in increasing the prosecutions of fentanyl dealers, and recognize the importance of having a collaborative relationship and building consensus even with differences of opinion, between the supervisor and district attorneyโs office in making continued progress for safe streets.
Endorsed by: Mayor London Breed, TogetherSF Action, San Francisco YIMBY, State Sen. Scott Wiener and DCCC Chair Honey Mahogany … read more.
The order of candidates is rotated each week. Answers are capped at 100 words, and may be lightly edited for formatting, spelling, and grammar. If you have questions for the candidates, please let us know at eleni@missionlocal.com.
Read all of the District 5 candidates' answers here, and the entire "Meet the Candidates" series here. Illustrations for the series by Neil Ballard.
You can register to vote via the sf.gov website.
What Scotty fails to understand is that charging cases means absolutely nothing when they’re all mishandled โโย leading to thousands of dismissals in court and majority acquittals at trial. Failing to manage the backlog of cases has led to victims securing zero justice. Mission Local reported on this looming crisis years ago. Jenkins has run the office into the ground for the sake of politics, making the city less safe.
Mission Local’s disclaimer at the bottom of his comments is icing on the cake and why he’s a completely unserious candidate. Seems to me like a vanity run out of boredom, not substantive policy with an actual understanding of how the city works. He’ll be lucky if he cracks 5% of the vote.
Bilal won’t take a stand because he is really a law and order Brooke Jenkins supporter but he’s pretending to be “progressive” and doesn’t want to admit he and Autumn and Scotty are all part of the arrest everyone (except white collar criminals) crowd.
There isn’t a chance in hell that Bilal has anything good to say about Kojaste. His feigned neutrality is just one more game he’s playing as he misrepresents himself
Candidate Mahmood is a slippery eel. Because he refuses to take a position on the offerings for the DA race, his flim flammery is starkly on display. Shape sifter Mahmood consistently goes for the low hanging fruit: wage theft, puppies, babies, Pakistani food in the TL. But when it comes to the third railโฆโฆ..Crooked Jenkins, the War in Gaza, Tenantโs Right to Counsel or repealing Costa Hawkins, he is mum. But he has London Breedโs endorsement, the most corrupt, petty and visionless mayor in SFโs history, so thereโs that. Where will Mahmood move when he loses to the current supervisor? Pac Heights? Dogpatch? The Castro? At a recent โfireside chatโ led by Trump appointee and former Republican Marie Hurabiell, another of the carpet baggers Scotty party zone Jacobs (who is gleeful about Mark Farrellโs endorsement yesterday) referred to Mahmood as โDean lightโ and said Mahmood doesnโt offer a single specific about any of his policies or plans if elected. I donโt know which is worse: flim flam man or Scotty the basher. And what does โLetโs Rideโ mean? We are still wondering. Is it a frat boy thing?
Autumn Looijenโs tone deaf โtough but fairโ comment is tone deaf. Was arresting the bridge protestors โfairโ? Was inviting a class action lawsuit against the city for illegally holding and arresting skate boarding teens โfairโ? Was it โfairโ when an armed private security guard shot and killed Banko Brown? Does Looijen realize sheโs not in Los Altos any more?