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 less. 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.
The two biggest neighborhoods in District 11 are the Excelsior, which is located along Mission Street and borders John McLaren Park on its east side, and the OMI, which is short for Oceanview, Merced Heights, Ingleside, and sits on the southern border of the city.
For this week and the next, we are asking the candidates to talk about one specific issue that is affecting these two prominent neighborhoods.
This week, we ask the candidates: Name one specific issue affecting residents in the OMI. How would you address it as their supervisor?
This week, I will be on the campaign trail following Daniel Lurie. In the meantime, you can reach me with questions, comments, and tips at xueer@missionlocal.com.
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
Safety on the streets, which includes daily shoplifting, criminals committing crimes in plain view, dilapidated roads, and dirty streets. I would immediately re-appropriate the funds to repair the roads and clean the streets, and I would work with SFPD to bring more police to walk the streets. This would bring more customers to shop in our neighborhood, it would allow for smoother rides on public transportation and it would ensure safer visits to the OMI. Let’s stop wasting time with politics and let’s get down to business so that we can start to fix these obvious problems immediately.
Jose Morales
- Job: Sales professional, small-business owner
- Age: 29
- 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
One major issue in the OMI is the unreliable public transportation system, with residents facing frequent delays and overcrowded buses. As supervisor, I would advocate for improvements to Muni service, including more frequent buses, better route coverage, and infrastructure upgrades. Additionally, I would push for enhanced safety measures at bus stops to ensure the system is accessible and reliable for all residents, especially seniors and those with disabilities.
This approach ensures that community members are personally invested in creating community assets that employ … read more here
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 have heard from OMI residents who say they need access to community-serving resources in general. Young people want to see more programs available in the neighborhood and not have to travel to other neighborhoods. While there are limited services available in OMI, most of it is very spread out. OMI residents have expressed the desire to have a neighborhood-serving grocery stores. Recreation space is so limited, and there is often a struggle between programs for youth and seniors. The community has been waiting a long time for a new library. I’d like to see programming at Sisterhood … 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.
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
One key issue in the OMI are community resources. These are often not available within walking distances for our youth and seniors. As District 11 Supervisor, I would prioritize pedestrian and child safety by installing more lighting, speed bumps, stop signs and traffic-calming measures on Grafton and for areas near parks and schools. I would advocate for an affordable grocery store near Broad and Randolph streets, and push for our new Oceanview library, which hasn’t been renovated in nearly 30 years. Additionally, I would work to establish the district’s first affordable farmers market in the OMI, partnering with Sisterhood gardens, along with … read more here
Endorsed by: United Educators of San Francisco, Green Party, Run for Something, Police Commissioner Debra Walker, … read more here
Oscar Flores
- Job: Project engineer
- Age: 29
- Residency: Tenant, born in District 11 in 1995 and has lived here continuously, except for the time away in college
- Transportation: Car
- Education: Bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from the University of Portsmouth in United Kingdom, and a master’s (postgraduate certificate) in Space Engineering from the University of Surrey in United Kingdom
- Languages: Spanish, French, English
A concern for OMI is the public transit routes and services currently in place to navigate its hilly terrain. A solution would be to carefully reconsider existing routes and determine if they can be improved upon to help residents better navigate the terrain, and/or establish a shuttle program for the elderly and disabled, who are the most affected by this challenge.
Endorsed by: The Republican Club of San Francisco, San Francisco Republican Party, San Francisco Briones Society, San Francisco Young Republicans.
Ernest “EJ” Jones
- Job: Community advocate
- Age: 38
- Residency: Tenant, living in District 11 since November 1985 and has lived here always, except for time away at college
- Transportation: Public, car
- Education: Bachelor’s degree, Dominican University, master’s degree in public administration from University of San Francisco
- Languages: English, Spanish
Pedestrian safety is a huge issue for residents of the OMI. At one point, residents pulled out sandwich boards to encourage stop signs at intersections of Grafton Avenue and Garfield Street. Neighbors on Lobos Street and Caine Avenue are concerned about speeds when their streets are used as a cut-through and, of course, Brotherhood Way at Orizaba Avenue needs traffic improvements. I would work with SFMTA to create a dedicated safety plan for the district, while also using creative methods, like three-way mirrors at four-way intersections, to increase visibility for drivers. Traffic calming near schools and parks are necessary to create safe spaces for … 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, San Francisco Chronicle… read more here
Michael Lai
- Job: Early education director, elected to the San Francisco Democratic Party
- Age: 32
- 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
Randolph and Broad lacks a grocery store, restaurants, and small businesses. The corner of 19th Avenue and Randolph has been the same for decades. There’s so much potential! Here’s my five-step plan:
- Organize and market a huge 2025 Night Market (like Sunset Night Market) with live music and activities partnering with SFMTA to market on the M (only 24-minute ride Castro, for example!) in partnership with existing community institutions like IT Bookman Center, Oceanview Branch Library, and Blue House Cafe, just as I did recently co-organizing a Mid-Autumn Festival at Geneva Carbarn and Andrew Yang fireside chat at Ingleside Presbyterian.
- Increase … read more here
Endorsed by: Attorney General Rob Bonta, Senator Scott Wiener, Sheriff Paul Miyamoto, Supervisors Joel Engardio and Matt Dorsey, NorCal Carpenters Union… read more here
Campaign finance
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.
