Welcome back to our weekly “Meet the Candidates” series, where District 1 supervisorial candidates who have filed to run respond to a question in 100 words or fewer.
Answers are published each week, but we are also archiving each answer on this page for District 1, to make it easier for voters to browse.
Next week, I will be at Diamond Coffee N’ Pastry (1014 Clement St.) at 10 a.m. on Thursday, July 11. Come by and share your thoughts, or reach me at junyao@missionlocal.com.
Last week, thieves smashed a car into a smoke shop in the Richmond and stole cigarettes and other items from the store. The business, at 17th Avenue and Geary Boulevard, was targeted multiple times before, and had lost its insurance coverage, the owner told ABC7.
At the same time, police data shows that all crimes in the Richmond — except human trafficking, which has remained at the same level — are decreasing from the same period last year. The data seems to contradict the notion that public safety is the top priority in District 1.
For this week, we asked the candidates: Is public safety the top priority in District 1? If not, what is?
Jeremiah Boehner
- Job: Marketing specialist and U.S. Army veteran
- Age: 39
- Residency: Tenant, living in District 1 since 2006
- Transportation: Driving
- Education: University of San Francisco
- Languages: English
I would ask the owners of Cigarettes Cheaper, Aceking BBQ, Uncle Boy’s, Walgreens employees, and neighbors like this if crime is down.
Ask the family of the murdered 74-year-old at the BART station if crime is down.
The people of San Francisco have become so used to crime we don’t bother to report it anymore.
Connie Chan
- Job: Incumbent District 1 Supervisor
- Age: 45
- Residency: Homeowner, living in District 1 since 2011
- Transportation: Driving and walking
- Education: Bachelor’s degree, University of California, Davis
- Languages: English, Cantonese, Mandarin
The challenge we face around public safety is not just whether people are safe based on data, it is whether people are feeling safe. This is why it has been my top priority to keep the Richmond clean and safe with the continuing increase of retired police ambassadors and street crisis teams, and graffiti abatement and street cleaning by the Public Works team.
Now we also have night markets, film festivals and community events to activate spaces, help people connect and support our small businesses. All with the goal of building community hubs in different parts of the Richmond so … read more here
Endorsed by: San Francisco Labor Council, Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club, Local 21, Service Employees International Union 1021 … read more here
Sherman D’Silva
- Job: Owner of a laundromat on Geary Boulevard
- Age: 51
- Residency: Homeowner, living in District 1 since 1973
- Transportation: Driving
- Education: Bachelor’s degrees from San Francisco State University
- Languages: English
Do not agree with SFPD statistics. Perception that nothing can be done leads many to not bother reporting crimes. If your car window is broken the police don’t come out but give you a report number. As a result, many don’t even bother reporting and just repair it. Walk into Walgreens or Safeway and you see people taking stuff and walking out. These incidents are not in the statistics because they are not reported. There are also daily posts of attempted and successful thefts of garages, packages and even some home entries. These incidents make crime the most important issue.
Jen Nossokoff
- Job: Vice president of a healthcare company and physician assistant
- Age: 38
- Residency: Homeowner, living in District 1 since 2020
- Transportation: Walking, biking, public transportation, driving
- Education: Bachelor’s degree from Colorado State University and master’s degree from Samuel Merritt University
- Languages: English
It’s terribly unfortunate what has happened with the recent burglary at the smoke shop on Geary Boulevard. Safety is, indeed, a concern, but it varies greatly across our district. Personal safety is a top issue for many Asian seniors, while small-business owners are troubled by vandalism and property crime. For many, especially those of us with small children, traffic violence is a major worry. We need a strategic approach to policing that avoids fear-mongering and embraces a holistic view. This includes a more robust Public Works department to keep streets clean and free of graffiti, making public spaces pedestrian … read more here
Marjan Philhour
- Job: Business owner, former advisor and fundraiser to London Breed
- Age: 50
- Residency: Homeowner, born in District 1 and moved back in 2006
- Transportation: Biking, walking, driving and public transportation
- Education: Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley
- Languages: English
When I go door to door in the Richmond, the top concern I hear from neighbors is public safety, with homelessness usually the second concern. It is important to note that it is not just the instances of crime that affect residents, it is also the brazen nature of the crime (vehicles crashing into banks and local shops, assault with weapons such as baseball bats, knives, or guns) that has a significant impact on our community’s concern with crime. While we have seen data show incidents of crime on the decline, this doesn’t change the fact that crime and public … read more here
Endorsed by: San Francisco Police Officers Association … read more here
Money raised and spent in District 1 supervisor race
For
Money spent
Against
Marjan Philhour
$63,735
$136,064
Connie Chan
$11,806
$101,585
$5,360
$72,021
Jen Nossokoff
$11,653
$3,573
Jeremiah Boehner
$0
Sherman D’Silva
$0
$0
$50,000
$100,000
$150,000
$200,000
For
Money spent
Against
Marjan Philhour
$63,735
$136,064
Connie Chan
$11,806
$101,585
$5,360
$72,021
Jen Nossokoff
$11,653
$3,573
Jeremiah Boehner
$0
Sherman D’Silva
$0
$0
$50K
$100K
$150K
$200K
Source: San Francisco Ethics Commission, as of April 3, 2024. Chart by Junyao Yang.
Candidates are ordered alphabetically and rotated each week. Answers may be lightly edited for formatting, spelling, and grammar. If you have questions for the candidates, please let us know at junyao@missionlocal.com.
Read the rest of the series here. Illustrations for the series by Neil Ballard.
You can register to vote via the sf.gov website.
